Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:16-22 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, to keep you from doing whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control...
When we make the decision to surrender our lives to Jesus, we become a new creation. The Holy Spirit comes alive within us, giving us the power to overcome our natural flesh and produce spiritual fruit. The fruit of the Spirit are very attractive and desirable, but we cannot consistently produce them in our own strength. They come as a blessing from God through the Spirit.
All Christians have the capacity to experience the fruit of God’s Spirit. Fruit is produced as we abide in the vine of Christ. As we grow, we take on Christ-like attributes. He promises that if we seek Him and remain connected to Him, we will bear much fruit. If we allow our flesh to be fed beyond our spirit, we will be fueling our sinful nature. The deeds of the flesh are in opposition to God’s spiritual fruits.
We need to develop the right environment for fruit to be produced. Fruit of the earth is produced when a tree is planted in good soil and receives the key ingredients for growth and health. A tree flourishes and produces much fruit when it avoids competing with opposing elements that may stunt its growth. In the same way, we can control our environment by what we are pursuing and feeding our flesh and spirit. We must posture ourselves daily by connecting to the vine of Christ to receive the nutrients of God’s spirit.
It is by the fruits of the Spirit that Christians are recognized as true believers.
Matthew 7:20 By their fruits you will know them.
A Countenance That Is Obvious: “love, joy, peace”
A Conduct That Is Becoming: “patience, kindness, goodness”
A Character That Is Obedient: “faithfulness, gentleness, self-controlled”
A saving faith will produce spiritual fruit. Yet, fruit will not ripen in our lives overnight or without intentionality. We must constantly work to rid ourselves of the “weeds” of our old sinful nature. The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to reject those old sinful desires. God will do magnificent things in us if we follow His path in pursuing holiness through spiritual disciplines. This will produce an abundance of fruit and allow us to become beacons of life and light in a world that is starving for the amazing fruit of God’s Spirit.
Be fruitful,
Big E
Matt. 5:6