THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT
Galatians 5:22-23
John 15:1-8
In Christendom, there is an emphasis on Christian character. Everyone appears to know that the true New Testament Christian life has a striking manifestation of a Christlike pattern of character. The Scripture gives this character pattern a pungent expression in Peter`s second epistle: "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance: and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor fruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-8).
WHAT IS MEANT BY THE EXPRESSION "FRUIT OF SPIRIT?"
These true Christian virtues are collectively called "the fruitss of the spirit" and couched in the best words in Galatians 5:22-23. Here, we have the exact definition of the total Christian personality and a beautiful resume of Christ`s Sermon on the Mount presented in a most digestible form. It is the character of Christ reproduced in the Christian through the Holy Spirit.
Some people produce the fruit of human efforts or what may be best described as "works of human spirit". Such people strive and endeavour, by a great excersice of will, to produce some fruits - good culture, courtesy, calmness (outward), kindness, endurance - which are only commendable to follow human beigns. But these products of natural effort are not the fruit of the Spirit revealed in Scripture . They come from mans labour. They are more of ,ams inention. That is why we call the fruits of human effort or works of the human spirit.
Works belong to the workshop, whereas fruits belong to the garden. Fruit is the silent growth of the abounding life, whereas, work comes from the skillful factory hand. The presence of fruit - the fruit of the Spirit - assigns the grace of the Christian character to the true source - God.
Galatians 5:22-23 Ephesians 5:9
In direct contrast to the works of the flesh, Paul the apostle, by inspiration, states the nine fruits produced by the Holy Spirit in the believer. They are: "Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, temperance..." (Galatians 5:22-23). They are collectively the fruit, implying that none is without the other and cannot be whole without others. Therefore, everyone who claims to have the spirit of God must possess "the fruit" in its entirety.
First, love which envelopes other constituents in the fruit (1 Corin. 13:1-13, Romans 13:10, John 13:34, 1 John 4:7-12).
In reality, love is the attribute of Christ that expresses itself in all the nine virtues. A Christian writer once wrote how the eight other components are anchored in love. He said, "Joy is love exulting; peace is love reposting; longsuffering is love enduring; gentleness is love refined; meekness is love with a bowed head; gentleness is love in action; temperance is true self-love, and faith is love confiding; so that the whole sum of Christian living is just loving".
Second, Joy (Isaiah 61:10, Jeremiah 15:16, John 16:22, Act 8:8, 1 Peter 1:8). Joy is more than happiness. It comes from the Lord and is anchored in him. Jesus is the Source of joy. The way into this joy is repentance and practical confession of faith in Christ. Money, mansions, might, or material wealth never gives this joy. They all give transient happiness, which is not better than misery. The book of Acts talks about people being filled with joy in the Holy Ghost.
After Samaria received salvation, "there was great joy in that city" (Acts 8:6). Paul said, "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17).
This joy transcends troubles and challenges of life; it leaps over tough circumstances and abides through problems, pains and even death. It is unspeeakable.
Thirdly, peace (Philippians 4:7, Romans 5:1, Psalm 119:165, Isaiah 26:3). Peace is regarded as one of the supreme attainments. It is the state whereby the soul and spirit of man are so imbued with the presence of God`s gracious Spirit that he is not easily provoked. Peace is the selfless, self-giving, self-losing, self-forgetting, and self-sacrificing love that is manifested in spite of all adversities of life. Jesus is the Source of true peace. He is called the Christ, He comes i. The peace He imparts is the quiet, potent, gracious attitude of serenity and goodwill that meets the bitterness of others with good cheer and repose.
This peace is calm in a crisis, untroubled in the trial, and determined in disaster. The pace of Christ transcends trouble; it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Fourth, Longsuffering (1 Corinthians 13:4, Colossians 1: 11, 3:12, Exodus 34:6, 2 Peter 3:9). Longsuffering is more commonly called endurance or patience. Longsuffering is the powerful capacity of selfless love to bear all things and continue in adverse situations. It is a generous willingness to try to understand awkward people, disturbing events, and unwelcomed situations that God allows to come your way. This quality of character was beautifully displayed in Jesus Christ: who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame...
(Hebrew 12:2), Longsuffering possesses the benefits of discipline, development, and direction.
Fifth, gentleness (1 Thessalonians 2:7-11, 2 Timothy 2:24, Psalm 18:35, James 3:17). When love, joy, peace, and longsuffering abound in the Christian`s heart, he is characterized by an unusual but essentially divine gentle lifestyle.
Gentleness is God`s enduring quality in the centuries of His dealing with man. The gentleness of God has drawn man to Him with a bond stronger than steel. Gentleness, the fruit of the Spirit, is exclusively enjoyed by loved ones. Gentleness which grows out of the Spirit is enjoyed by all - Our friends as well as our persecutors, revilers, scorners, scoffers and all who speak evil against us. Gentleness is loving, appreciating, caring, tending, accomodating and correcting a friend, child or partner in a firm manner.