The story of The Coat Of Many Colors given to Joseph by his father is familiar to most people. It is so familiar that we might miss some of the spiritual meanings within the experience.
Joseph accepted his father’s attentions without question. The Bible narrative tells that Joseph was content to stay at home. It seems that he welcomed his father’s special connection with him.
One day Jacob had the idea of creating a special coat for Joseph. Maybe through inspiration or through devotion to his favorite son, he was inspired to create a colorful cloth from which he could make a coat.
Wool was gathered and spun into thread. Spindles of thread were carefully collected then dyed into a rainbow of colors.
The loom was reserved for Jacob’s use.
The cloth began, warp and woof, with stripes of brilliant colors alternating to create the impression of a rainbow. Every thread a testimony of the father’s love.
In a way that is intended for us to comprehend, this is like God in His relationship with us.
We are born-again through His favorite Son, and receive the covering (like a coat) of the Holy Spirit.
His relationship with me is as if I were the only one in His care.
The rainbow is a special symbol used by God on this earth, symbolizing the bow that encircles His Throne. God even takes ownership of the rainbow as a symbol of His Promises. He calls it, “My bow.”
Joseph became a symbol of God’s promises to Abraham. Those promises were transferred to His Church at the time of Pentecost, after Jesus’ ascension to Heaven.
Science has separated the rainbow into seven colors. God’s favorite symbol of perfection.
I’m going to use that number for the colors in Joseph’s coat.
Each color representing a characteristic of the Father’s relationship with His children.
Just as Joseph’s coat did, the Robe of Righteousness offered to us by the Father indicates :
>Acceptance of me;
>Love for me;
>Joy in me;
>Authority through me;
>Pride in me as a family member;
>Preference for me;
>Patience with me.
When I am Covered By The Spirit, it would be expected that I would produce the Fruit of the Spirit.
Notice that it is NOT labelled "Fruits" plural. It is One Fruit.
There are nine sections of this Fruit.
A portion of the Fruit focuses on my inward development:
Joy, Peace, Goodness, Faithfulness, Self-control.
I should be able to look at my life and find these characteristics developing in me.
A portion of the Fruit focuses on my outreach development:
Love, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness.
Others should be able to look at me and see evidences of those seeds growing in me.
What is the Spirit that Jesus promised to send to dwell in us? A careful study of the Bible will reveal many job descriptions for the Spirit.
Let’s look at a list of twelve ways that the Spirit works with us.
Comforter
Teacher & Reminder – a Memory Enhancer for us who are prone to forget.
Revealer & Convicter of sin
Indwelling, Divine Presence
Power over weaknesses
Guide toward Truth
Interpreter
New Life Source
Gift Giver
Fruit Source
Sanctifier
Sealer for God’s Ownership
Fruit Source is just one of the functions of the Holy Spirit.
We have a list of the Fruit above.
What if a fruit from the list is absent from my life?
What should I do about the lack?
A long time ago in my life I had the privilege to work with a special gardener in South Florida.
He had developed several varieties of mangoes. He shipped to growers all over the world.
Yet he was never done with the work of creating a better fruit. Every day he was busy checking on seedlings in the hot-houses, adjusting nutrients for feeding the new growth, grafting new cuttings into sturdy stock.
God, through the Spirit, is at work every day, every moment, with the same task – grafting our lives into His life.
His Life – the sturdy stock that enables us to produce the Fruit of the Spirit.
Adam and Eve gave satan access to our human nature. The fruit borne by humans ever since that event has been different from God’s seeds – in fact, just the opposite of God’s fruit.
The Holy Spirit, when given permission to do so, grafts into our lives the Fruit of the Spirit.
Love replaces hatred and animosity.
Joy replaces despair.
Peace replaces anxiety.
...
You get the idea.
Finish the list of the replacements of satan’s counterfeits.
Then ask God to give you those that are missing.
Be covered by The Spirit and live the Abundant Life.
Don’t keep it to yourself.
Do you need to be baptized – Covered by the Spirit?
Baptism is a public celebration of The New Life in Christ.
Seventh-Day Adventist churches follow the example of Jesus and baptize by immersion. Find a church close to you and contact the office, talk with a pastor, and arrange Bible studies.
We can’t wait to welcome you into the family.
