Sermon Notes 04 January 2026

Clothed in the Spirit: Restoring the Garment Lost in Eden
Pastor Ryan Perry Sermon 04 January 2026

FRUIT THAT LASTS Sermon Series
WEEK 10 - Final in the series

Thesis: The Fruit of the Spirit is not a list of virtues to achieve, but the visible garment of restored identity—revealing that in Christ, God heals our misperception, restores relationship, and reclothes His image bearers through the Holy Spirit.

This sermon series has been a journey into the heart, the character, the life of God Himself. The series completes with the truth that ties everything together:

• God is re-clothing His people
• Not with leaves, Not with shame, Not with performance, Not with religion
• But with the very presence of Jesus Christ.

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With our titles and profiles we sew together a garment of 'the best version of ourselves.' Like Adam and Eve, we are sewing together digital fig leaves to hide feeling exposed, inadequate, and dissatisfied with who we are.

We are trying to achieve an identity that God wanted to assign to us.

The Fruit of the Spirit is not a list to improve. It is a garment to wear.

Genesis 2:25
Genesis 3:5

The first sin was identity dissatisfaction. Genesis 3:7

And God asks the question humanity has been answering ever since: “Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11)

All through the Old Testament, God keeps using clothing to preach one sermon: You cannot clothe yourself, I must clothe you.

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• Act of Grace: Genesis 3:21
• Act of Honor: Genesis 9:23
• False Identity: Genesis 27:15
• Identity Misunderstood: Genesis 37:23-24
• Symbol of Holiness: Exodus 28:2-4
• Sign of Judgement: Isaiah 20:2-3
• Glimpse of Salvation: Zechariah 3:3-5
  
  

And then Jesus comes… Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 27:28; John 19:23–24; Mark 16:5; Mark 9:3; Revelation 7:14

Pentecost is not just empowerment, Pentecost is re-clothing. Luke 24:49; Acts 2:4

The presence Adam forfeited in Genesis 3 is poured into the people of God in Acts 2.
The Garden of Eden is being rebuilt inside the church, inside you!

Paul takes this truth and presses it into everyday life: Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 3:10

• Gnosis = information
• Epignōsis = full recognition, deep knowing, relational understanding, perception that leads to alignment and response

Paul tells us what such clothing looks like Galatians 5:22-23

• Love — the heart of Jesus
• Joy — the radiance of the Kingdom
• Peace — the Garden of Eden restored
• Patience — Christ under pressure
• Kindness — Yahweh’s compassion
• Goodness — holiness you can see
• Faithfulness — covenant loyalty
• Gentleness — strength under submission
• Self-control — the Garden of Eden’s boundary restored

You are not growing fruit, You are wearing Jesus.

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The Bible ends with a wedding: Revelation 19:8

Hear this in your spirit:

• Adam rejected the identity.
• Israel veiled the identity.
• Jesus revealed the identity.
• The Spirit restores the identity.
• And the church now displays the identity.
  
  

You are the restored image bearers of Yahweh.

Monday Wardrobe Check.
Intentionally put on Christ. Pray:
Lord, today I take off the garment of shame.
I put on Your peace.
I am not what I do, I am who You say I am.

When stress hits, pause and ask one simple question: Who told me I was naked?
It wasn’t God.

You don’t have to achieve an identity this year. You just have to wear the one you’ve been given.