Fruit of the Spirit
At the end of one of our small group, fellowship and Bible Study meeting, an attendee handed out book markers with scriptures on it concerning the fruit of the Spirit. As I looked at the scriptures, I felt an urging to begin a series of blog posts covering each fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 and 23 reveals, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Notice that the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit are virtues of God. ‘Fruit’, from karpos, in the Greek, is equivalent to : work, act, or deed. Metaphorically, fruit is that which originates or comes from something. It is an effect or result. It is important for us to take note of that, since the scripture very clearly is referring to the “fruit of the Spirit”. You see, the scripture does not speak of the ‘fruit’ of man or of mankind. The fruit mentioned in these verses does not originate with man. Only the Holy Spirit can produce it. It cannot result from our own efforts.
When I say, the fruit of the Spirit are the virtues of God, what do you think that means? The word ‘virtue’ as used in scripture is the Greek word, arete, which means: intrinsic value, moral excellence, and goodness. Intrinsic means, belonging to a thing by its very nature. So, basically, we can state that the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit reveals and represents the very nature of God.
Thus, our starting point for the upcoming posts is to state that the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ is developed in us, as believers in Christ, by the Holy Spirit.
Fruit begins as a seed, which when planted becomes a plant, bush, or tree. The trees will then bloom with flowers which will bear fruit. To bear a good quality of fruit, trees need to be tended to.
The fruit of the Spirit is that which is produced when the seed is planted and tended by God’s Spirit. According to 1 Peter 1:23, the seed planted in us is the Word of God, “since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;” Then Luke 8:11b reads, “The seed is the word of God.”
Fruit does not emerge on a tree as fully mature and ripe! It grows and matures into the fruit which comes from the seed which was planted. When you plant a watermelon seed, it will produce watermelons, not apples!
The orchard of our heart is tended by God. Jesus said in John 15:1, “"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” Then in verse 5, He went on to express, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Once again, the fruit of the Spirit reveals and represents God’s very nature in us! Look at what Galatians 2:20 (NASB20) states, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Then, we read in 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT), “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.”
Looking back at Genesis 1:26 and 27(NLT) we read we were created in God’s image. “Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground." 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” So, in truth, it is God’s desire today that each one of us be transformed more and more into the His image. (Remember, our fruit doesn’t emerge fully mature or ripe! It grows!)
God, in His tremendous mercy and love, sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to die for us. Why? So that after man fell from God’s will and purpose, there was a way for man to be restored to right relationship with God and restored to the potential to fulfill God’s will and purpose for him - to reflect and reveal the nature of God to all mankind. How did God intend for us to be able to do that? After Jesus returned to the Father, the Father sent His Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us into all truth. John 14:26 (NLT), “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative--that is, the Holy Spirit--he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” John 16: 13a (NLT) “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.”
God, by His Word and Spirit, has given all that we need to share and exhibit the very nature of God. 2 Peter 1:3 and 4 (NLT), “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires.” Through the promises of His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can reflect His nature to those around us. He desires that we be like Him. He wants us to be a reflection of Himself and manifest His glory to a lost and dying world. Matthew 5:16 (NKJV), “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
This is why the Lord wants the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in our lives. According to Helps Word studies, figuratively, the word ‘karpos’ (fruit) “is everything done in true partnership with Christ. i.e. a believer (us as the branch), lives in union with Christ (Who if the vine). By definition, fruit results from two life streams, the Lord living His life through us - to yield what is eternal.” (Galatians 2:20).
Galatians 5:25 (NKJV), “ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” “Walk” means to walk along the path He lays down. To walk ”in the Spirit” is to follow the desires of the Holy Spirit, to live in a way that pleases Him. Romans 8:4 (NKJV) tells us, “that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” We are being instructed to walk in the Spirit not the flesh, for the way of the Spirit glorifies God and ministers life to those we encounter.
To obey the Spirit is life, to obey the flesh is death. Romans 8:5-8, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Wow! Be ready for next week! We will begin to study the fruit of the Spirit as individual actions which demonstrate the nature of God to those around us - through Christ in us - the Hope of glory!