The Fruit of the Spirit.
The Fruit of the Spirit
Every believer needs a daily infilling of the Spirit in order to live
a spiritual life. No believer has ever reached the place where he does
not need to walk by means of the Spirit, for when we walk in the
Spirit, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
The nine words describing this fruit are: love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance
(Galatians 5:22). These represent superhuman qualities which the flesh
could never produce. Only God, the Holy Spirit, is able to make mortal
beings act this way. No human can duplicate, nor devil counterfeit,
the fruit of the Spirit. It is the only way to be like Jesus, for
someone has well said: "Galatians 5:22 is the shortest biography of
Christ ever written." Only the "fulness of the Spirit" can make one
like Jesus. The term fruit is singular, meaning that all nine graces
form the fruit. The Holy Spirit does not produce a few of these but
usually all nine when one is Spirit-filled. They are:
A. LOVE. This is not the romanticized or sexual love of the street or
of society's rebels. It is the divine love that is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). It makes one love the lowly,
the unlovely, and the unclean. It makes one love members of another
race or denomination. It does not look down upon those whose gifts
differ.
In Corinth this love was missing and the gifts became a source of
competition among the "spiritually elite." That is why Paul said in I
Corinthians 13:1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of
angels, and have not charity [love], I am become as sounding brass, or
a tinkling cymbal.
The presence of gifts is not the evidence of the Spirit's filling. You
may have gifts, but prophet, miracle worker, helper - do you have the
fruit? This is where Satan can fool and deceive us. He can imitate the
gifts mentioned in I Corinthians 12, 13 and 14, but he cannot imitate
or produce the fruit of the Spirit. Do not misunderstand - I am not
against gifts, but gifts prove nothing. The real evidence is found in
the fruit one bears as he ministers the gifts.
Oh, that we might be filled with all the fulness of God (Ephesians
3:19). This Holy Spirit produced love makes us love others. Beloved,
let us love one another: for love is of God . . . (I John 4:7). Do you
have the real evidence of the Spirit's filling? It is described in I
Corinthians 13:4-7: Love suffers long, and is kind; love envies not
[or is not jealous]; love vaunts not itself [boasting about its
gifts]; love seeks not its own; is not easily provoked; thinks no
evil; rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth; love bears
all things; believes all things; hopes all things and endures all
things. The world is waiting to see this evidence. Get filled and show
it to them. Don't split churches arguing about superior gifts, but
manifest the love that proves one has the Spirit's fruit.
B. Next in line is JOY. Joy is not the superficial happiness that
springs from sports or television, for happiness depends upon
happenings. Instead, it is the joy of the Lord which is one's strength
(Nehemiah 8:10). It is a contentment in times of suffering, sorrow,
and even death. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory (I Peter 1:8).
C. PEACE also fills the minds and hearts of those who are Spirit
dominated. This is not peace with God that accompanies salvation
(Romans 5:1) but the peace of God, which passeth all understanding
(Philippians 4:7). This peace produces a sublime calm of heart and
mind in spite of every disturbance, heartbreaking circumstance, or
adverse condition and glorifies God before an unsaved world.
D. LONGSUFFERING within a believer is a quality that only the Holy
Spirit can produce. It is the opposite of impatience. It cannot be
produced by members of Adam's race but must be wrought within a
Christian by God. The Lord God, [is] merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6). This
is why the ungodly receive countless opportunities to be saved, for:
The Lord . . . is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9).
This same attitude may be the believer's portion, for God strengthens
us with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience
and longsuffering with joyfulness (Colossians 1:11). We are to walk
with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one
another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2, 3). Yes.... be patient toward all men (I
Thessalonians 5:14). How are you doing? Do you have the real evidence
of the Spirit's fullness?
E. GENTLENESS. Again, this is a fruit from God, for . . . the wisdom
that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to
be intreated . . . (James 3:17). Paul could also say: . . . we were
gentle among you . . . (I Thessalonians 2:7). Bickering, fighting,
fussing church members forget that the servant of the Lord must not
strive; but be gentle unto all men (II Timothy 2:24). Do you have the
fruit? Remember, it cannot be attained by human effort or by
imitation, but only as a direct filling by the Spirit.
F. GOODNESS is produced at salvation and made to bloom in one's life
as the Spirit fills a believer. Jesus said: . . . none is good . . .
(Luke18:19). Paul said: . . . there is none that doeth good, no, not
one (Romans 3:12). Men talk about doing good, and it is only egotism
seeking praise. However, the Spirit within produces real goodness
toward others.
G. FAITH, in this listing, is actually faithfulness. Lamentations
3:23, speaking about God, states: . . . great is thy faithfulness.
This same faithfulness in a Christian may become a daily reality. One
does not have to be up and down spiritually. God's faithfulness,
wrought in a Christian by the Spirit, can make him faithful daily.
H. MEEKNESS is the hardest fruit to possess, for as soon as we think
we have it, we've lost it. However, let it be remembered that meekness
does not consist in pretending to be less than one really is, but
rather when one does not pretend to be more than he really is. Again,
the flesh cannot generate meekness because it is only puffed-up flesh.
It takes the filling of the Spirit to put on meekness (Colossians
3:12).
I. Finally, TEMPERANCE is self-control. The term speaks for itself
and, praise God, the Holy Spirit produces it in those who have the
fullness of the Spirit.
We have seen that God demands a high and holy standard of life, but He
has also provided the means to produce it .. . . Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Let's
begin seeking the fruit instead of gifts. Gifts are for all, but the
fruit - though for all - may only be realized by those who grieve not
the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), quench not the Spirit (I Thessalonians
5:19), and then walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). In simple terms,
one must turn from all known sin to a daily reliance on the Holy
Spirit if he is to evidence the fullness and fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Why not begin today?
God bless you.
Every believer needs a daily infilling of the Spirit in order to live
a spiritual life. No believer has ever reached the place where he does
not need to walk by means of the Spirit, for when we walk in the
Spirit, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
The nine words describing this fruit are: love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance
(Galatians 5:22). These represent superhuman qualities which the flesh
could never produce. Only God, the Holy Spirit, is able to make mortal
beings act this way. No human can duplicate, nor devil counterfeit,
the fruit of the Spirit. It is the only way to be like Jesus, for
someone has well said: "Galatians 5:22 is the shortest biography of
Christ ever written." Only the "fulness of the Spirit" can make one
like Jesus. The term fruit is singular, meaning that all nine graces
form the fruit. The Holy Spirit does not produce a few of these but
usually all nine when one is Spirit-filled. They are:
A. LOVE. This is not the romanticized or sexual love of the street or
of society's rebels. It is the divine love that is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). It makes one love the lowly,
the unlovely, and the unclean. It makes one love members of another
race or denomination. It does not look down upon those whose gifts
differ.
In Corinth this love was missing and the gifts became a source of
competition among the "spiritually elite." That is why Paul said in I
Corinthians 13:1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of
angels, and have not charity [love], I am become as sounding brass, or
a tinkling cymbal.
The presence of gifts is not the evidence of the Spirit's filling. You
may have gifts, but prophet, miracle worker, helper - do you have the
fruit? This is where Satan can fool and deceive us. He can imitate the
gifts mentioned in I Corinthians 12, 13 and 14, but he cannot imitate
or produce the fruit of the Spirit. Do not misunderstand - I am not
against gifts, but gifts prove nothing. The real evidence is found in
the fruit one bears as he ministers the gifts.
Oh, that we might be filled with all the fulness of God (Ephesians
3:19). This Holy Spirit produced love makes us love others. Beloved,
let us love one another: for love is of God . . . (I John 4:7). Do you
have the real evidence of the Spirit's filling? It is described in I
Corinthians 13:4-7: Love suffers long, and is kind; love envies not
[or is not jealous]; love vaunts not itself [boasting about its
gifts]; love seeks not its own; is not easily provoked; thinks no
evil; rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth; love bears
all things; believes all things; hopes all things and endures all
things. The world is waiting to see this evidence. Get filled and show
it to them. Don't split churches arguing about superior gifts, but
manifest the love that proves one has the Spirit's fruit.
B. Next in line is JOY. Joy is not the superficial happiness that
springs from sports or television, for happiness depends upon
happenings. Instead, it is the joy of the Lord which is one's strength
(Nehemiah 8:10). It is a contentment in times of suffering, sorrow,
and even death. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory (I Peter 1:8).
C. PEACE also fills the minds and hearts of those who are Spirit
dominated. This is not peace with God that accompanies salvation
(Romans 5:1) but the peace of God, which passeth all understanding
(Philippians 4:7). This peace produces a sublime calm of heart and
mind in spite of every disturbance, heartbreaking circumstance, or
adverse condition and glorifies God before an unsaved world.
D. LONGSUFFERING within a believer is a quality that only the Holy
Spirit can produce. It is the opposite of impatience. It cannot be
produced by members of Adam's race but must be wrought within a
Christian by God. The Lord God, [is] merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6). This
is why the ungodly receive countless opportunities to be saved, for:
The Lord . . . is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9).
This same attitude may be the believer's portion, for God strengthens
us with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience
and longsuffering with joyfulness (Colossians 1:11). We are to walk
with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one
another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2, 3). Yes.... be patient toward all men (I
Thessalonians 5:14). How are you doing? Do you have the real evidence
of the Spirit's fullness?
E. GENTLENESS. Again, this is a fruit from God, for . . . the wisdom
that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to
be intreated . . . (James 3:17). Paul could also say: . . . we were
gentle among you . . . (I Thessalonians 2:7). Bickering, fighting,
fussing church members forget that the servant of the Lord must not
strive; but be gentle unto all men (II Timothy 2:24). Do you have the
fruit? Remember, it cannot be attained by human effort or by
imitation, but only as a direct filling by the Spirit.
F. GOODNESS is produced at salvation and made to bloom in one's life
as the Spirit fills a believer. Jesus said: . . . none is good . . .
(Luke18:19). Paul said: . . . there is none that doeth good, no, not
one (Romans 3:12). Men talk about doing good, and it is only egotism
seeking praise. However, the Spirit within produces real goodness
toward others.
G. FAITH, in this listing, is actually faithfulness. Lamentations
3:23, speaking about God, states: . . . great is thy faithfulness.
This same faithfulness in a Christian may become a daily reality. One
does not have to be up and down spiritually. God's faithfulness,
wrought in a Christian by the Spirit, can make him faithful daily.
H. MEEKNESS is the hardest fruit to possess, for as soon as we think
we have it, we've lost it. However, let it be remembered that meekness
does not consist in pretending to be less than one really is, but
rather when one does not pretend to be more than he really is. Again,
the flesh cannot generate meekness because it is only puffed-up flesh.
It takes the filling of the Spirit to put on meekness (Colossians
3:12).
I. Finally, TEMPERANCE is self-control. The term speaks for itself
and, praise God, the Holy Spirit produces it in those who have the
fullness of the Spirit.
We have seen that God demands a high and holy standard of life, but He
has also provided the means to produce it .. . . Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Let's
begin seeking the fruit instead of gifts. Gifts are for all, but the
fruit - though for all - may only be realized by those who grieve not
the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), quench not the Spirit (I Thessalonians
5:19), and then walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). In simple terms,
one must turn from all known sin to a daily reliance on the Holy
Spirit if he is to evidence the fullness and fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Why not begin today?
God bless you.
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