The Fruit of the Spirit

             In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he separates the things of the flesh from the things of the Spirit. We can find the fruits of the Spirit in chapter 5, verses 22-23.

 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

 

The fruits of the Spirit are a model of what we as Christians should look like to others. Of course no one can perfectly perform all the fruits at the same time 24/7. If we could, then Jesus’ crucifixion would have been in vain. But, God calls us to follow in Jesus’ example and we should obey Him by displaying the fruit of the Spirit.

The thing is, I have read these verses over and over again and I have had them memorized for years, but I have one question: Why are they called fruits? I have been trying to think of everything. Pears, peaches, pineapples, plums, but I have come up short. That’s when I asked for the Holy Spirit to show me. And He did. What does an apple tree produce? Apples. What does an orange tree produce? Oranges. What does the Holy Spirit produce? Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control! It might sound silly, but if you look at the verses that come after the fruits of the Spirit, you will see how they connect.

 

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:24-25

 

                We already know what the Spirit produces, but what does the flesh produce? Evil. If you look at Galatians 5:19-21, Paul gives you a very long list of the products of the flesh. But all those things of the flesh have been crucified. They have been put aside so that now we can focus on fruits of the Spirit. And as we grow in our walk with Christ, He will guide us as we choose the fruits that we’ve been given.

Notice that I say, “been given”. Remember, the fruits are a product of the Spirit. When we accept Christ as our Lord and receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of God comes inside us. But that’s not all. When the Spirit comes into us, so do the fruits. If you have the Holy Spirit in you, then you already have access to all the fruits. Yes, the Holy Spirit can help us choose to use them, but He’s already given them to us! It’s just up to us to make daily decisions to use the fruits.

 

I hope this encouraged and inspired you as well as many others.

Love Grace

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