(Note: this page is intended for Christians; if you are not a Christian you are free to read but this page is not intended for you)

The fruit of the spirit

(Christian life)

Galatians 5:22-23

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Now that you have become a Christian and have begun the lifelong journey of getting rid of the old life and starting the new one what should you expect to change about yourself? What will all this change begin to reproduce?

Well, you can be assured there will be change and you can know how these lessons and applying them will change you!

When you received the Holy Spirit through salvation and begin to get into the word of God and apply it to your life, you will produce…

The Fruit of the Spirit!!!

Now what is the fruit of the spirit? Will fruit actually begin growing on Christians?

Obviously not!

In the Bible, “Fruit” can symbolize (Especially with humans) actions/nature of someone. So, the fruit of the spirit is the nature/action you will produce with the Holy Spirit inside you.[1]

When can you get these fruits?

The fruit of the spirit is not going to magically appear overnight. Like the real fruit growing on a tree/vine it takes time to develop and ripen to perfection. It can take many years to grow these special fruits.

So, what are the fruits of the spirit?

What exactly are the fruits we will produce? What should we seek to attain under the Holy Spirit?

In contrasting the natural sin nature and fruits that spirit produces in believers, Paul tells us the types of fruit in Galatians 5:22-23:

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...”

Love

(The original word was the Greek “ἀγάπη” [ah-gah-pay] it doesn’t just necessarily mean a general brotherly love or being very loving about everything and everyone it really means Godly love [That’s important to understand not just any love.])[2]

When we experience Gods love for us through his earthly self: Jesus Christ, Learn about his grace towards us, learn to love his laws, how he wants us to love others, and come to know divine will for all things. We grow to love as God loves we administer to others the same love he showed us and we grow natural love for our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as love towards our enemies and loving judgment towards wrongdoing.

Joy

(The original word was the Greek ”χαρά” [Khar-ah’] means excitement/joy and the word is linked to God’s mercy and that this Joy is because of God’s mercy”)[3]

As we grow to know God’s Never-ending mercy for us, learn of his future for us: the Children of God, as well as his plans to prosper us, and when we begin to follow his ways and laws being obedient and humble. We will gain joy in our lives no matter what the circumstances are!

Peace

(The original word was the Greek “εἰρήνη” [“E”-ray-nay] does mean peace but specifically is the personal peace that comes from being saved and knowing God)[4]

When we begin to see God’s ways, his ultimate plan, and when we have faith in his promises and plans. We will have peace in our lives that it will be okay no matter what is happening.

Patience

(The original word was the Greek “μακροθυμία” [Mak-roth-oo-mee-ah] it not only means patience but also longsuffering, endurance and long temperedness)[5]

When we heed the examples of God in the Old Testament concerning longsuffering towards people who have done wrong and Jesus example towards situations in the New Testaments as well as going through trials that require this patience/endurance/longsuffering we gain patience and can endure more because you know it will be for your good and God’s ultimate plan.

Kindness

(The original word for kindness was the Greek “χρηστότης” [khray-stot'-ace] does not mean a nice person or someone who is very friendly but it means mercy [for those who have messed up] and caring for others and Grace [Which is Giving gifts and gentleness to those who don’t deserve it/you don’t even know])[6]

When we experience God’s kindness and mercy on us and when we are saved and begin to follow his ways of treating others; we gain this kindness: We have mercy and forgiveness for others as well as caring for other’s needs, no matter who they are.

Goodness

(the original word was the Greek “ἀγαθωσύνη” [agath-owu-soo’-nay] it does not mean a polite attitude or following human laws, but means following God’s laws and ONLY God’s laws alone! Goodness=Obeying biblical laws/truths)[7]

When we learn of God’s values and keep them in our hearts and apply them in our lives we gain Goodness and can walk in his universal laws and ways.

Faith

(The original word was the Greek “πίστις” [pis’-tis’] means both faith and confidence in your beliefs)[8]

When God reveals his truth to us, calls us from the world, when we begin to believe and live by what the bible says is true, and when we see the clear evidence and the fruit our beliefs produces we gain faith:

We have confidence in what we believe and follow and gain faith in what God promises and will do no matter how bleak the situation looks!

Meekness (Gentleness)

(The original word was the Greek “πραΰτης” [Prah-oo-tace] means being humble and obedient to God and his will as well as other human beings when necessary)[9]

When we see the example of Godly men and women acting in humility/obedience in the Bible/our church, see the humility of Jesus Christ in coming from heaven as God to earth as a human to be mocked/nailed hanging on a cross, and how Jesus was obedient to his fathers will (main God) , as well as when we learn of Gods will to obey him and be humble/meek to him and some others for his sake and laws we gain.

meekness:

We are able to accept obeying God and are willing to change anything about our lifestyle for his will, We are willing to become a servant to others in obeying Christ (God) even if we are being mocked or tormented for doing so. We can always serve our God and humbly realize his place and his plan no matter what anyone else says or thinks about us.

Self-Control

(The original word was the Greek “ἐγκράτεια” [Eng-Krat’-“E”-ah] means self-control as well as a “spirit-control” , you will really need the holy spirit for this one! It is mastery of desires from within: your spirit choosing to control those desires and holy spirit [Jesus] helping you as well)[10]

When we begin to make Christ (God) our king; giving up all our desires/wants to follow God’s laws of balance and love for him above all else, See others in the Bible/Church control their natural desires we gain

self-control:

We are able to divinely control our desires to follow the lord and not sin, we can be better serve him and live our lives in Christ and our health will be better. We gain power over desires and wants no matter what we are tempted with around us.

These are the fruits of the spirit and these fruits are what Jesus and God want to see you produce in your life from now on:

John 15:16

“…I chose you and appointed you (saved you) so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last(forever).”

Jesus saved you so you could produce these specific fruits because these fruits will last (matter) forever! Jesus (and God) is looking for these qualities in you now, because now you will produce them because you are considered a “Good tree” (born again Christian) and good trees WILL produce good fruit that is desired from them:

Matthew 7:17-20

“…every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”

Like you would expect and Apple tree to produce Apples or an Orange tree to produce Oranges, a Good born-again Christian will produce good qualities and thus actions. When a fruit tree (an apple tree or an orange tree) produces fruit (an apple or an orange) the person who planted it is happy that the tree is producing fruit for him/her and is happy that the tree is doing its job that the planter wanted it to do.

It’s the same way with a Born-again Christian: Jesus saved you and choose you (planted you) and since you are a good tree (Christian) Jesus expects you to produce good fruit (the fruit of the spirit)

But the key to producing this fruit is having the holy spirit live inside you: once again, this is why it’s called the fruit of the spirit: it cannot be produced otherwise! (Which according to Jesus is the equivalent to having him/God’s power/nature inside of you) Jesus symbolically compares this vital relationship of the holy spirit (and himself) and Christians to the parts of a grape vine:

John 15:1-8

“I (Jesus) am the vine; you (Christians) are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit(works/nature); apart from me you can do nothing (you cannot develop these traits!)…No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit (The right works/nature) unless you remain in me.”

He compares himself to the main stem of a grape vine: which is where the whole grape vine comes from and gets its water and nutrients to live: without the main vine the rest of the grape vine would not be able to live and die! The branches however grow out from the main vine and grow leaves and most importantly produce the actual grapefruits from the energy from their leaves and from the water and nutrients from the main vine.

This is exactly what the relationship is like between Jesus (holy spirit) and Christians: If a human has the holy spirit inside of them then Jesus is in them and they obey and follow him daily then the holy spirit in them will lead and empower them to change and begin gaining these traits that Jesus (and God) desires.

However Jesus gives a major warning with this: like a grape branch can get detached from the main vine and begin to die, a Christian can also become detached from Jesus and begin to become sinful/useless again and will be thrown into hell for not producing fruit!

John 15:6-8

“If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is [cut off the main vine] thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned (Thrown into hell!).”

Much like a branch from a grape vine can be cut off and detached from the source of its nutrients and die; Jesus also reveals a Christian can also become detached from the Jesus/the holy spirit within them and begin to revert back to a sinful lifestyle again and become ‘dead/fruitless’ to Jesus/God. If a Christian ever does this, Jesus reveals like real grape branches that become detached and dies a Christian who reverts back to their sinful lifestyle, must be deposed of in this case, a Christian who has rejected and refused Jesus/God’s will to produce the right works/traits will be judged and thrown into hell to be punished/destroyed for their refusal to obey them!

This is a very serious warning for Christians everywhere! Producing these fruits is not an option: it’s absolutely mandatory because your salvation is at stake if you don’t produce these fruits!

However, I know these words may sound very scary (and they should be rightfully so) but if you just obey what Jesus says and keep trying to follow him and his will then you have nothing to worry about! Because as long as you keep following Jesus’s commands and keep trying to live the Christian life the very best you can you will not become detached from The Holy Spirit/Jesus and will definitely begin producing fruit eventually:

John 15:7-8

“If you remain in me and my words (believe and live out my teachings/commands) remain in you,…you [will] bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (Christians).”

Like an apple tree or any other fruit tree it is in your D.N.A. to produce good fruit and if you just continue to try and obey Jesus and live a Christian life you will in time. And when you do, Jesus will be happy that you are producing fruit for him, and you will be fulfilling your purpose for being saved and as a Christian!

You don’t have to worry about producing this fruit because in time you will as you live a Christian life because anything Good, righteous, and truthful you do has the fruit of the spirit in it!

Ephesians 5:9

“…: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth).”

As you develop these qualities you will also develop actions along with them (mainly praise and worship to God, doing good, and helping others) which are also considered fruits that God is pleased with:

Hebrews 13:15

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

While it will take time to produce this fruit, a relationship with God and knowing our identity in what God thinks about us: will help us produce fruit also with the holy spirit in us God also can give us the fruits of the spirit almost supernaturally by filling us up with these qualities with the power of the Holy Spirit:

Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace (fruits of the spirit) as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit…”

So, as you live out your Christian life try to notice when you are showing these certain qualities and ask God to help you with ones that you struggle with. Ultimately your life will change for the better and you will produce qualities that will please Jesus (and God).

(Back to The Christian Life)

Sources:

[1]

[A]Galatians 5:22 Greek interlinear by Biblehub

Website:

https://biblehub.com/text/galatians/5-22.htm

[B]Strong’s Greek 2590. Καρπός (karpos)—fruit by BibleHub

Website:

https://biblehub.com/greek/2590.htm

[2]

Strong’s Greek 26. ἀγάπη (agapé)-- love, goodwill from Biblehub

Website: