WHAT IS THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT?
(Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”)
The Greek word translated “fruit” refers to the natural product of a living thing. Paul used “fruit” to help us understand the product of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside every believer. The fruit of the Spirit is produced by the Holy Spirit, not by the believer. The Greek word is singular, showing that “fruit” is a unified whole, not independent characteristics. As we grow, all the characteristics of Christ will be manifested in our lives.
Yet, like physical fruit needs time to grow, the fruit of the Spirit will not ripen in our lives overnight. Like a successful gardener must battle against weeds to enjoy the sweet fruit they desire, we must constantly work to rid our lives of the “weeds” of our old sin natures that want to choke out the work of the Spirit.
As the Lord Jesus said in (John 10:10 thief comes to steal, kill and destroy; but I have come to give abundant life). Life of abundance in the Tri-union God, the Loving Father, the Graceful Son Lord Jesus Christ and comforter / counsellor the Holy Spirit.
In the Outside World of greed and power, there is no such LOVE OF GOD which is UNCONDITIONAL, there are three kinds of love;
- EROS LOVE– Physical love for example People
- PHELIO LOVE– Soulish love or tender affection, having common personality and how we perceive other peoples nature.
- AGAPE LOVE– Greek word, its God kind of love that God loves us because His love is unconditional, which never changes and only thing change is us.
The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to reject those old sinful desires. We can say “no” to sin and accept the “way out” God faithfully provides (1 Corinthians 10:13 the temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure) By following the Holy Spirit’s leading.
As we give the Spirit more control of our lives, He begins to do in and through us what only He can do – to shape us and grow us to look like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [18] So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image)
Since God’s goal for all His children is for us to be like Jesus (Romans 8:29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters), the Holy Spirit constantly works to rid our lives of the “acts of the sinful nature” (Galatians 5:19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: intimate immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures) and display His fruit instead. Therefore, the presence of the “fruit of the Spirit” is evidence that our character is becoming more like Christ’s.
Paul uses 9 characteristics to describe the fruit of the Spirit in the book of Galatians.
Love
True, biblical love is a choice, not a feeling. It deliberately expresses itself in loving ways and always seeks the welfare of others. Biblical love is dependent on the giver’s character, not emotion. For instance, a mature believer demonstrating love will not exercise his or her freedom if that action might harm another Christian in some way. Rather than risking the possibility of causing the immature Christian to question and stumble, the mature believer will not exercise his freedom out of love for his brother (Romans 14:1 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong).
Love chooses to set aside one’s own preferences, desires, and sometimes even needs to put the other person first (Philippians 2:3-5 don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. [4] Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. [5] You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had)
Joy
It is the internal spirit, spiritual and eternal delight the God and not in the circumstances; as external circumstances and situation changes but the God never changes. Be Joyful and make other people joyful people around you. And the Joy comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes we believers tend to downplay the meaning of joy. But, the Greek word translated as “joy” in Galatians 5 means “gladness and delight” – basically the same thing the world means when it talks about joy. It is a feeling of gladness based on our circumstances. Sadly, the world’s joy cannot last because it is based on fleeting, physical circumstances. But the joy of the Lord is established in our spiritual, eternal circumstances. As we cling tight to Jesus, abiding daily in our saving relationship with Him, we will experience the fullness of joy He promised (Acts 11:23 When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord).
Peace
Calmness and rest in person’s mind & heart and absence of strife. The world doesn’t offer much peace. Just look around. The world cannot give it because the world doesn’t know the One who is peace. But for those who have the Spirit of peace within us, the peace of Christ is possible, no matter our circumstances (John 14:15, 27 “If you love me, obey my commandments. [27] “I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.). We can reject the chaos of the world and embrace God’s peace.
The book of Philippians tells us how (Philippians 4:4,6-7 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice! [6] Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. [7] Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus). First, choose to rejoice in God and who He is. Second, bring all your worries, fears, and concerns to God in prayer. Third, fill your mind with God’s truth. And fourth, choose to think about the things of God.
Patience
We don’t see much patience in the world today, not even in the church. Is steadfast patience and endurance that enable us to preserve despite of difficult circumstances and difficult people. Every day is not bed of roses and people rub wrong way with us. We cannot strife without the Gods help in difficult circumstances.
May be part of the reason is our fast-paced, want-it-now culture. But believers have everything we need to be patient because we have the Holy Spirit living in us longing to display His character to those around us. Patient people put up with circumstances and other people, even when severely tried. Patient people display endurance, longsuffering, and perseverance. The New Testament also specifically connects patience with sharing the Gospel. God is patient as He waits for the lost to come to Him (2 Peter 3:9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent) and
He calls His people to be patient as we extend the offer of salvation in Christ to others (2 Timothy 4:17 But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death)
Goodness
The characteristics of “goodness” present the picture of one who possesses moral goodness and integrity, but also generously expresses it in the way they act toward others. This “goodness in action” reflects God’s goodness toward us. God demonstrated His goodness to us in our salvation (Exodus 33:19
The LORD replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.)
Surely, Lord is the Gracious God and His goodness endures forever who love Him (Psalm 23:6 surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever)
Faithfulness
Steadfast commitment to the God like the Lord is always faithful to His Word of the God (Psalm 86:15 but you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness). To be “faithful” is to be reliable or trustworthy. For the believer, this is faithfulness specifically to the Saviour who redeemed us (2 Chronicles 19:9 these were his instructions to them: “You must always act in the fear of the LORD, with faithfulness and an undivided heart).
Believer’s faithfulness therefore, is continued and consistent submission and obedience to the same Spirit who provides the ability for us to be faithful. This attitude is in direct contrast to our previous “faithfulness” to our own sinful desires and ways. The word also describes someone willing to suffer persecution and even death for Christ’s sake. “Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about our perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials we endure”.
Kindness
“Kindness is like Gods character and heart like shepherd’s heart for his sheep” (Psalm 145:17 The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness); or Gods kindness is warm hearted tenderness or soft heart for His sheep’s. (Ephesians 1:7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins)
(Isaiah 40:11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young)
Lord Jesus Christ said we can accept genuine people and genuine office of calling of the prophets by the God. So we have to be kind with each other believers or unbelievers (Ephesians 4:32 Instead, be kind to each other, tender hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you)
Gentleness
Closely linked to humility, gentleness is grace of the soul. It is not weakness, but instead it is strength under control. For instance, in Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he wrote that the “Lord’s servant” will “correct his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:25 And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. [25] Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth).
And in Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia, he wrote that those who have been caught in sin should be restored in a “spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself).
Gentleness, being the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest, is also a key ingredient in unity and peace within the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love)
Self-Control
The last characteristic in Paul’s description of the fruit of the Spirit points us back to his list of the “works of the flesh” in (Galatians 5:19-21 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,
[20] idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,
[21] envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God).
Those of us with the indwelling Holy Spirit has the strength to control our sinful desires, to say “no” to our flesh. Self-control gives us the power to say “yes” to the Spirit and foster a beautiful, bountiful harvest of spiritual fruit! (2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline)