The Fruit of the Spirit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control … If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-25, MEV). 

 

The fruit of the Spirit identifies the Spirit-filled believer. Just as speaking with other tongues confirms the baptism in the Holy Spirit as the Spirit gives utterance (Acts 2:4), in the same way, the continuing evidence of the Spirit-filled life is the development of Christlike character. A Christian is a person whose life and character conform to Christ’s teachings. True Christianity is more than a profession of faith. It alters a person’s life-style because the character of Christ is developed in the believer through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit testifies of spiritual maturity.

The fruit of the Spirit in the believer is contrasted to the “works of the flesh” in the unbeliever (Gal. 5:19-21). Through the Spirit-filled life, with the Holy Spirit working in us, we can transcend the fleshly nature and become Christlike. The fruit of the Spirit is utterly opposed in character to the works of the flesh. The carnal nature produces “works” which are sinful and base. Paul points out the plurality of works, always in conflict with one another for the mastery. However, the fruit of the Spirit points to unity—it is singular, not plural. The “fruit of the Spirit” is singular throughout the New Testament which is designed to emphasize the one source from which the fruit can come—even the Holy Spirit—and the unity which His presence produces. The “works of the flesh” are given in plural to indicate the disunity and destruction which sin brings into lives. The Spirit produces fruit in the believer.

The fruit of the Spirit would be a portrait of Christ and of the balanced, Christ-like, Spirit-filled Christian. When the fruit of the Spirit is mature, the believer reproduces the character of his Lord. These traits are not natural, but supernatural. They come directly from the Holy Spirit. Growth does not depend upon natural circumstances but is the result of the Spirit’s working within the believer.

Christian character begins with the new birth. Christ lives within, and therefore it becomes more natural for a believer to do the spiritual thing. However, fruit-bearing isn’t instantaneous. It is a growth process. The baptism in the Holy Spirit further cultivates the heart for the continued growth of the Spirit’s fruit. Since the development of Christian character is the work of the Holy Spirit, maturity should come more quickly within a Spirit-baptized believer.

The fruit of the Spirit is just as supernatural as the gifts of the Spirit. The fruit is the result of a new spiritual life from above; it does not come from self-imposed discipline. One can be highly moral and not have the fruit of the Spirit, but one cannot have the fruit of the Spirit and not be highly moral.

The gifts come in demonstration. The fruit comes in holiness. The gifts are impermanent. The fruit is permanent. The fruit is concerned with being, while gifts are concerned with doing. The gifts are operative through us and fruit is operative in us. Both are very important to the work of God. The purpose of both is conformity to the image of Christ. However, God will not be impressed with those who have allowed wonderful works to be done through them when they have not allowed God to work in them.

Fruit is the natural outcome, by a process of steady growth, of a principle of life within. Fruit takes time to develop and is brought to perfection by the assistance of much from outside, such as sunshine, rain, fertile soil. Gifts, on the other hand, may be given by the generous action of someone without. They are usually complete as given. Fruit comes gradually from within, while gifts come immediately from without. The fruit of the Spirit will be seen as the manifestation and outcome of the divine life put within the believer. It generally appears gradually by a process of growth in grace. Gifts are given at moments of crises or need. Gifts might be desired and prayed for at any time, independent of the believer’s maturity of growth in grace. They are the sovereign acts of the Great Giver rather than a result of the life within the believer. Fruit, though, is the result of the life of the Holy Spirit within the believer.

The nine gifts and the nine fruit are meant to balance each other and are intimately connected. They are connected by I Cor. 13—the love chapter. None of them are worthwhile without the love of God first.

Men are not born with the fruit of the Spirit. Fruit is a product of development. The fruit are not divided up between believers as the gifts are. The gifts are given to various believers, one or two to each believer as the need arises. However, love is not given to one person and peace to another. Fruit has to do with character—what a person is. Gifts have to do with ministry—what a person does. Fruit is expressed through exhibitions of love; gifts in exhibition of power. Fruit exhibits Christ-like qualities of character and conduct.

Gifts result in dynamic service for Christ, but do not depend on the inner character of the believer. The sum of the fruit of the Spirit may be called Christ-likeness, for it is produced exclusively by the Spirit of Christ within the believer. Fruit is produced by the Christ-life within. Growing in the Lord and disciplining the self to allow the Spirit to produce fruit prepares for the fruit itself. Fruit comes as the believer separates himself from worldliness, yields himself to God, and seeks to know what God teaches in His Word. Fruit is the result of the believer yielding to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit rule, and the fruit of the Spirit will develop. We are commanded to bear fruit.

Fruit comes automatically when we yield to the Holy Spirit.

Love is the first of the nine fruit listed in Gal. 5. But it also seems to be a comprehensive term which includes all the eight which follow, as if the following eight add a definition of that love. Joy is the charismatic love in the middle of grief or sorrow—love rejoices in the truth. Peace is the love of God operating in conflict and turmoil—love is not easily provoked. Patience is the love of God in trial and testing—love bears all things. Gentleness is the love of God in the voice of authority and of power—love vaunts not itself. Goodness or benevolence is God’s love toward the less fortunate—love is kind. Faith acquires living force to the extent that it is active in love—love believes all God’s promises. Meekness is the knowledge of God’s love at moments of personal achievement—love is not puffed up. Self-control is God’s love in the presence of temporal blessing—love does not behave unseemly.

We have just described the Sprit-filled life. This supreme love dares and does the impossible. It will still remain firm when the last selfish act, the last cruel ambition, the last deed of hate has been done. Love lies at the root of all nobility, goodness, or heroism. The fruit is an indication that the life of the plant is vital and that the true purpose for which the plant exists is being realized. The fruit is for the benefit and sustenance of other living things. There is no natural process by which a plant devours or absorbs the fruit it bears. If we are concerned with what fruit-bearing may do for us, we are probably misguided in the whole purpose of fruit-bearing.

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, MEV). The Holy Spirit uses the human “vine” to produce spiritual fruit that will minister to others. The fruit may benefit the Spirit-filled Christian producing the fruit, but basically it is to enrich the lives of others and to glorify the Son of God Himself. As a result of constant union with Christ, submitting to His prunings, and as a result of the life of the Holy Spirit flowing through us, the fruit in us will ripen in profusion.

 

PR

 

Read each of the chapters in the series: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control.