FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Taking a deeper look at the fruit of the Holy Spirit with Bible verses.
FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The goal of this article is to help in understanding the fruit of the Holy Spirit and also list many of the Bible verses relating to the Holy Spirit living and working in our lives, helping us bear the fruit of our Lord.
Some might ask, what does the term, “the fruit of the Spirit” really mean?
First, let's consider what fruit is. Most of the time, many of us think of fruit as merely something for us to eat. But fruit is also an important facet for the reproduction of the plant that bears it. “Fruit” is what “a tree or plant” bears (produces) “of its own kind” that when it lands on fertile ground, it can reproduce more of itself. And as we are of the kingdom of God, we should be bearing His fruit. If the Lord is the vine and we are the branches (as a continuation of Him) and the Holy Spirit is flowing through us, then His influence should be seen in the character and choices of our lives.
The fruit of the Spirit is the manifestation of the character of God. It is the direct result of His nature. The Holy Spirit is God and all that God is. Whenever Jesus is the true Lord of someone, His character manifests in the life of that person by His Spirit.
Are the “gifts of the Spirit” also “fruit of the Spirit”? This is a serious question for thoughtful consideration. Some might say yes and some no. Let us consider the matter.
The “fruit of the Spirit” comes through “growth” in obedience to God and His Word.
The born-again Christian, whose spirit-nature is good and pure must crucify their fleshly nature daily (which wars against the Lord) and be obedient to the Holy Spirit, bearing the fruit of submitting to the presence and will of the Lord. As Christians, we “grow in the Lord” as we study and learn the Bible and become obedient to the Holy Spirit and the new nature of the born-again spirit. The spirit becomes born-again but the flesh has to be reprogrammed and learn to be obedient and conformed to God's will. It is a life-long pursuit!
The “gifts of the Spirit” are “gifts” that are given to Christians according to the will of the Holy Spirit.
While the “fruit of the Spirit” comes as we “grow in God's character and Word through His Spirit” - the “gifts of the Spirit” are different in that they are “instantaneous and given according to the Lord's will” as we see in the following verses. The Holy Spirit decides when, where and to whom He distributes the gifts. The Lord wants us all to desire the gifts as they are for the edification of the body of Christ.
The gifts (the calling and ability of them) are inside all believers (because the Holy Spirit is there) but they are distributed by the Holy Spirit as He wills. There are times when the gifts may not be in operation and times when one or more is operating in a believer. Many people try to push or force the gifts into operation but as the Bible says, they are according to the Spirit as He distributes. The Lord is generous and desires to edify and bless but His people have to be willing and obedient to the Holy Spirit for Him to work in and through them with the gifts. For more understanding about the gifts of the Spirit, please see our article, The Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit.
Fruit comes through personal growth and the gifts are just that... gifts. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not based upon growth but by the wisdom and choice of the Holy Spirit as He is God with us and doing the work of the Lord. Sometimes those with the gifts may be in a season where the fruit of the Spirit is lacking and God still uses them in the gifts anyhow. Repentance is necessary for all believers to stay in right standing with God, but this is something that is between God and that person. “For His namesake or His purposes” the Lord has even gifted a donkey and some prophets that were sometimes not even very holy at all (Numbers 22-24).
Let's take a look at some of the actual fruit of the Spirit.
Of all that God is, what could be greater than the fact that God is love? All of 1 Corinthians 13, which is commonly called the Love chapter, is only possible in Him and through Him. God is the truest and highest form of love and His type of love is called agape love. This “godly love” is not like our “human love or even brotherly love” because it is so much greater than even our best human love. Agape love is never ending and much, much more. It still loves even when the love is not returned or even rejected.
Let us see this greatest fruit of the Spirit of all, as revealed in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13:
So many people read the Love chapter and are in awe of it. It is read at many weddings and considered to be true love and the kind of love to be desired to give and receive. But the truth of the matter is that, this kind of love only comes from God. It is pure and holy. And when we realize this love from God, as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit, then we can begin to know God for who He really is and begin to have the impact of that love in our lives (1 John 4:7-8). The process begins with being born-again (salvation) and the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts and He grows us in the love of the Lord (His nature). We acquire the ability to love others as God loves us but it is all only possible by the power and work of the Holy Spirit. Here is an interesting thought just for a quick study.
What would it read like, if we change the word “love,” for the words, “fruit of the Spirit,” in the following verses?
Could it be that God's love, agape love, is such an intense part of who He is, that it is an intense part of His characteristics as seen in the fruit of the Spirit? In the verses of 1 Corinthians 13, we see patience, kindness, grace, self-control, goodness, righteousness, etc in action.
Next, let us look at some of the most famous “fruit of the Spirit” verses of all and we see that love is listed first. Could it be that without love, none of the other fruit would be possible?
Many articles and messages about “the fruit of the Holy Spirit” seem to claim or imply that Galatians 5:22-23 are the only verses about the fruit of the Spirit and stop there. These verses are wonderful and true but oh how much more of the fruit, the manifested expression of the Lord is shown in Scripture.
In other words, every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart and trueness of real life is of the Light, is of the Holy Spirit. Without Him, there is no real goodness at all.
In the following verses, the apostle Peter shares His heart and in so doing, we can see the produce, the fruit, of growing in the Lord and in his words, “become sharers of the divine nature.”
One of the reasons each of the above exhortations are listed in the sense of “being added to the previous ones” is that it is a growing process. All Christians start out at the same place. Just as every oak tree, big or small, began as a small nut, all Christians begin a new life in Christ at the point of salvation. It is even called being “born-again.” We all are considered “baby Christians” at first and then as we “age in life” - we grow in the Lord. We learn to pray and listen for the Lord's direction. As we have faith for some things, we develop more faith for more situations. As we learn certain Scriptures with Holy Spirit revelation, we get more Light on those Scriptures and as we read new ones, the Light from previous revelation, makes other verses shine in a newer Light for us and so much more. And these beautiful processes never end in our lifetimes. As we make sacrifices of doing what is right and loving others past all kinds of ugliness, something amazing happens. We grow in Christ. And through this growth, we bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, who we submit to and lives in us.
Let us take a closer look at the following verses:
Kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, trueness of life and the desire to learn and please the Lord can only be the result of the Holy Spirit and as these verses in Ephesians say, are constant proof of what is most acceptable to the Lord. Often times, we as Christians, expect non-Christians to have our morals and values when they are not saved and are living life in spiritual darkness, without the true influence of God's Word and the Holy Spirit. Non-Christians learn behavior according to the world around them. Christians re-learn their behavior from the Lord and His Word. Without becoming truly born-again, trying to push morality is like trying to put saddles on wild horses and tame them. Being a Christian and bearing the fruit of the Lord is from the inside out and completely different.
There are four types of ground (hearts) that Jesus describes being effected by receiving the seed of the Gospel. Only the fourth seed does not wither or fail and steadily brings forth fruit and even fruit with patience.
Only by the power and work of the Holy Spirit can a right heart and life, bear this fruit. He works with each of us wherever we are in our lives and continuously grows us in the Lord. The born-again spirit desires to be obedient to the Lord and yields to the direction of the Holy Spirit.
The heart of the person in Psalms 1:1-3 shows what it can be like with the Holy Spirit as God with us. It is true joy thinking of the Lord and His ways. It is not hard “to not go the way of the lost” because it is a path of downward spiral, not pleasing to God or beneficial to His children. When we are the planting of the Lord, we can be like the trees firmly planted by streams of water, not only bringing forth fruit when it is proper but even in times of drought or heat, we do not perish and the works of our hands are still blessed.
These verses in Jeremiah 17 are similar to the ones in Psalms 1. One of the results of the Holy Spirit working in us, is learning to not trust in our own strength or the strength of others or living our lives in a spiritual wilderness. The Holy Spirit working in our lives, helps us believe, trust and rely upon the Lord, who is our hope and confidence. And in these verses in Jeremiah, we see once again, as the planting of the Lord, pressure-some times cannot have us and we will stay green through it all. Worry cannot have us either and the fruit of the Lord will continue in and through us.
How amazing and wonderful are these prophetic verses of Jesus in Isaiah 11. They show us who God really is, who the (Holy) Spirit of the Lord really is, and also all that Jesus would be when He would come in the physical. The Holy Spirit was prophesying through Isaiah of how He would be with Jesus and how Jesus would be. When the Holy Spirit is in us as born-again Christians, we are the temples of the Holy Spirit, the temples of God Himself living in us. He is the mind of Christ in us. The born-again nature, the divine nature is all available because of the “Spirit of the Lord.”
In these verses of Isaiah 61, Jesus was looking into the future and prophesying through Isaiah. One day, hundreds of years later, in the town He would grow up in called Nazareth, Jesus would leave home and eventually return one day, and stand in the local synagogue and read some of these very verses of Isaiah 61. And when He did, He said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing” (Luke 4:21). These verses were His mission statement, prophesied in advance and fulfilled during His ministry in Israel.
And in the book of Acts, many testify of what Jesus accomplished, fulfilling so many prophecies as He was always seeking and obeying the will of the Father.
After Jesus was crucified, resurrected and before He ascended to heaven, He gave us virtually the same assignment to continue the mission. We, by the way of Him working through us with His Spirit, are to continue His work as we read about in the last chapter of the book of Mark.
The first thing we see in the selection of verses above is that being rebuked and corrected is part of the fruit of the Spirit too. Sometimes we are the recipients and sometimes God even uses us for such purposes too. Next in Mark 16, we see Jesus commanding and admonishing His disciples then (and for all who would become His disciples in the future) to join in His mission, which we see that they did after Jesus ascended. And we can see in last verse that “the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied” This was done by the Holy Spirit then and has continued throughout the ages!
Let us read fresh again and see the heart of Jesus as John tells us what Jesus said in John 15.
All of the Vine (of Jesus) that the Vinedresser (the Father) has, can only bear the fruit and fulfill the calling of the Father by the Holy Spirit being in and with us. We can only be in the Lord and the Lord in us because of the Holy Spirit. All of His fruit, (the evidence of His character manifested in the branches which are the extensions of Him) is due to the Holy Spirit. Even the love that Jesus calls us to love with, the love of God, is received and passed on through us by the way of the Holy Spirit; on our own it is impossible and we can do nothing.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit comes from His leadership, from His voice speaking to us from the Father, from His urging and speaking to us of things to come, from His reminding us of the Bible verses that we previously put in our hearts and need later and from Him teaching us daily in our every day life.
One of the ways the Lord guides us is by “His peace” and is one of His powerful ways that we as Christians walk in. We know when all is good between God and us and have a special peace that is not like any other kind of peace (John 14:27). When we err and get off the right track, our peace is interrupted and we know that we need to stop and seek the Lord once again on how to get back on track. Once the correction is made, we get His amazing peace back.
The early churches had the peace of the Lord and were edified. In walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they grew in numbers also. This is all evidence of God working through the Holy Spirit. This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Righteousness, peace and joy in the Lord are wonderful fruit of the Spirit!
The life led by the Spirit of God has the fruit of His work which shows who are the true sons of God. And the Holy Spirit bears witness of this. There are many who profess to be Christians whose lives do not truly bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Some are even good actors. But if one will truly listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit, His discernment will reveal the truth.
Once again, many say they are Christians but the truth is, “those who live as the Spirit tells them to, having their minds controlled by what the Holy Spirit wants” are the true children of God and the ones who truly live their lives with the real fruit of the Holy Spirit.
What a blessing to bear the Name of the Lord and the fruit of righteousness and be persecuted for it. For this brings a special kind of glory when the Holy Spirit of God rests on us at such a time. This is a fruit not usually seen with the human eye but with the wonderful anointing of the presence of God that can only come from this kind of trial.
Sharing God's love, as the Lord's care and grace abounds in and through us, is the fruit of His Spirit. Living a caring, righteous, clean and holy life bears the true fruit of the Spirit.
A thankful heart that praises the Lord in good times and bad, glorifies the Father and blesses the doer. Only the Christian led by their born-again spirit, submitted to and empowered by the Holy Spirit can do it. This is the fruit of the Spirit as well as being kind, generous and having the heart to help those in hard times. This fruit of the Spirit is sacrificial and totally pleasing to God!
Without being born-again and the work of the Holy Spirit in us, we would live according to the fallen nature we were (and all are) born with. This carnal (fallen) nature is our enemy. All Christians at one time, were their own lord and in bondage to a fallen nature. Praise God for His love, power and saving grace. Let us always be wary of the carnal nature.
In the following excerpt from Paul's letter to the Romans, he really breaks down what godly behavior that is clearly the fruit of the Spirit should look like. Much of this is also the same as or similar to what Jesus commanded of us Matthew 5, 6 and 7.
In summation for the fruit of the Spirit, listed here are many aspects of the fruit of the Spirit but certainly not all, for all that is purely good, is of God.
Love/loving that never fades, fails or ends, brotherly affection, joy/joyful (gladness), peace/peaceful, patient/patience (an even temper, forbearance), kind/kindness, good/goodness (benevolence), faithful and true/faithfulness, diligent, dependable, gentle/gentleness (meek/meekness) humble, humility, self-control (self-restraint, continence), not boastful, prideful or vainglorious, not haughty, not conceited, not rude, not self-seeking, not easily offended, not resentful, does not over-think wrongs done to them, does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, loves justice and righteousness, moral, happy when righteousness and truth prevails, looks for and wants to see the best in others and situations, hopes even in rough circumstances and does not weaken in patience, respectful to God, considerate to others, love is not jealous or competitive in an unbalanced way, not envious or covetous, pure and right heart, true life, forgiving and grace/graceful, godly/godliness, piety, virtuous, delights in the Lord and His laws and ways, wisdom/wise, intelligent, knowledge and understanding/sense, relies on the Lord, has the reverential fear of the Lord, fair/fairness, not forgetful of those in need, helps the poor and oppressed, stands against, fights iniquity, has understanding of the Lord and what is right, mourns and comforts at the appropriate times, grateful and thankful to God, shares the Good News, prayerful and prays for others, glorifies the Lord, bridles their tongue, uses their words for life and not death, listens for the Holy Spirit, led by and obedient to the Holy Spirit, hospitable to others and including strangers, shares what they have, visits prisoners and shut-in people, true to their spouse, not lustful, not consumed with creature comforts and money, satisfied in whatever circumstances they are in, offers up sacrifices of praise, acknowledges and glorifies the Lord and His name.
All these types of fruit are edifying for us, those around us and give glory to the Father.
Many people, do not think of the fruit of the Spirit as spiritual. They think of the fruit as external evidence, feelings or behavior. Simply put, love, peace and joy for example are not physical things that can be put in jar. Being invisible does not make them less real. Secular science and education would have people think of spiritual matters merely as feelings - chemical responses of our nervous systems. In reality, the fruit of the Spirit is based in the spirit and are the result of the Spirit of God working in us as we are not only physical beings but are spiritual beings.
The works of the flesh, the negative actions and feelings, that come from not being in the Light, are spiritual also. They are the spiritual results of a lost paradigm, of a person not being right with God and making choices accordingly. The cost of rejecting the Holy Spirit is expensive. When we reject God, we reject His character and blessings. When we choose to be rebellious and have a rebellious heart, from it flows bad fruit. And this bad fruit is not only bad for the person bearing it but is unpleasant and not edifying to those around them.
We, as spiritual beings, in physical bodies, live our daily lives making choices and having conflicts that have to be dealt with all day, every day. Our choices and what we face not only affect our circumstances but must be dealt with in the spirit. Once again, man's science does not include “the spirit” in its mindset, but God and His Word does. The fruit of the Spirit makes life better for the ones bearing it and for those around them. The rejection of doing things God's way, make life harder and worse for those around them.
We are spiritual beings and all the decisions we make are spiritually based, whether we are in the Light or in darkness. Those in the Light, by the direction of the Lord, base their paradigms and decision-making according the fruit of the Spirit which is really the manifested character of God and which determines results accordingly. For example, If one wants to have hope, one chooses to hope and this produces the fruit of hope. Hope is a fruit and bears hopeful actions. The same is true of love, peace, joy, wisdom, patience, etc.
Everyone bears the fruit of their paradigm and choices. Those that live in the Light of God, bear His fruit. Those that live in darkness bear the fruit of it too. One producing life and the other producing death. As Christians, even though we sometimes fall short, if we stay and continue in the Lord, we still bear the fruit of the Spirit.
Some might ask, what does the term, “the fruit of the Spirit” really mean?
First, let's consider what fruit is. Most of the time, many of us think of fruit as merely something for us to eat. But fruit is also an important facet for the reproduction of the plant that bears it. “Fruit” is what “a tree or plant” bears (produces) “of its own kind” that when it lands on fertile ground, it can reproduce more of itself. And as we are of the kingdom of God, we should be bearing His fruit. If the Lord is the vine and we are the branches (as a continuation of Him) and the Holy Spirit is flowing through us, then His influence should be seen in the character and choices of our lives.
The fruit of the Spirit is the manifestation of the character of God. It is the direct result of His nature. The Holy Spirit is God and all that God is. Whenever Jesus is the true Lord of someone, His character manifests in the life of that person by His Spirit.
Are the “gifts of the Spirit” also “fruit of the Spirit”? This is a serious question for thoughtful consideration. Some might say yes and some no. Let us consider the matter.
The “fruit of the Spirit” comes through “growth” in obedience to God and His Word.
The born-again Christian, whose spirit-nature is good and pure must crucify their fleshly nature daily (which wars against the Lord) and be obedient to the Holy Spirit, bearing the fruit of submitting to the presence and will of the Lord. As Christians, we “grow in the Lord” as we study and learn the Bible and become obedient to the Holy Spirit and the new nature of the born-again spirit. The spirit becomes born-again but the flesh has to be reprogrammed and learn to be obedient and conformed to God's will. It is a life-long pursuit!
- Galatians 5:16-17 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
- Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
The “gifts of the Spirit” are “gifts” that are given to Christians according to the will of the Holy Spirit.
While the “fruit of the Spirit” comes as we “grow in God's character and Word through His Spirit” - the “gifts of the Spirit” are different in that they are “instantaneous and given according to the Lord's will” as we see in the following verses. The Holy Spirit decides when, where and to whom He distributes the gifts. The Lord wants us all to desire the gifts as they are for the edification of the body of Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
The gifts (the calling and ability of them) are inside all believers (because the Holy Spirit is there) but they are distributed by the Holy Spirit as He wills. There are times when the gifts may not be in operation and times when one or more is operating in a believer. Many people try to push or force the gifts into operation but as the Bible says, they are according to the Spirit as He distributes. The Lord is generous and desires to edify and bless but His people have to be willing and obedient to the Holy Spirit for Him to work in and through them with the gifts. For more understanding about the gifts of the Spirit, please see our article, The Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit.
Fruit comes through personal growth and the gifts are just that... gifts. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not based upon growth but by the wisdom and choice of the Holy Spirit as He is God with us and doing the work of the Lord. Sometimes those with the gifts may be in a season where the fruit of the Spirit is lacking and God still uses them in the gifts anyhow. Repentance is necessary for all believers to stay in right standing with God, but this is something that is between God and that person. “For His namesake or His purposes” the Lord has even gifted a donkey and some prophets that were sometimes not even very holy at all (Numbers 22-24).
Let's take a look at some of the actual fruit of the Spirit.
Of all that God is, what could be greater than the fact that God is love? All of 1 Corinthians 13, which is commonly called the Love chapter, is only possible in Him and through Him. God is the truest and highest form of love and His type of love is called agape love. This “godly love” is not like our “human love or even brotherly love” because it is so much greater than even our best human love. Agape love is never ending and much, much more. It still loves even when the love is not returned or even rejected.
Let us see this greatest fruit of the Spirit of all, as revealed in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13:
- 1 If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have prophetic powers ( the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).
3 Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me), I gain nothing.
4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy ( the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].
9 For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).
10 But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.
12 For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [ by God].
13 And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.
So many people read the Love chapter and are in awe of it. It is read at many weddings and considered to be true love and the kind of love to be desired to give and receive. But the truth of the matter is that, this kind of love only comes from God. It is pure and holy. And when we realize this love from God, as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit, then we can begin to know God for who He really is and begin to have the impact of that love in our lives (1 John 4:7-8). The process begins with being born-again (salvation) and the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts and He grows us in the love of the Lord (His nature). We acquire the ability to love others as God loves us but it is all only possible by the power and work of the Holy Spirit. Here is an interesting thought just for a quick study.
What would it read like, if we change the word “love,” for the words, “fruit of the Spirit,” in the following verses?
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a 4 The fruit of the Spirit endures long and is patient and kind; the fruit of the Spirit is never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
5 The fruit of the Spirit is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. The fruit of the Spirit (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
6 The fruit of the Spirit does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
7 The fruit of the Spirit bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
8 The fruit of the Spirit never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].
Could it be that God's love, agape love, is such an intense part of who He is, that it is an intense part of His characteristics as seen in the fruit of the Spirit? In the verses of 1 Corinthians 13, we see patience, kindness, grace, self-control, goodness, righteousness, etc in action.
Next, let us look at some of the most famous “fruit of the Spirit” verses of all and we see that love is listed first. Could it be that without love, none of the other fruit would be possible?
- Galatians 5:22-26 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [ that can bring a charge]. And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires. If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.] Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.
Many articles and messages about “the fruit of the Holy Spirit” seem to claim or imply that Galatians 5:22-23 are the only verses about the fruit of the Spirit and stop there. These verses are wonderful and true but oh how much more of the fruit, the manifested expression of the Lord is shown in Scripture.
- Ephesians 5:9 For the fruit (the effect, the product) of the Light or the Spirit [consists] in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life.
In other words, every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart and trueness of real life is of the Light, is of the Holy Spirit. Without Him, there is no real goodness at all.
In the following verses, the apostle Peter shares His heart and in so doing, we can see the produce, the fruit, of growing in the Lord and in his words, “become sharers of the divine nature.”
- 2 Peter 1:2-8 May grace (God's favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature. For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence), and in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety), and in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love. For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [ full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
One of the reasons each of the above exhortations are listed in the sense of “being added to the previous ones” is that it is a growing process. All Christians start out at the same place. Just as every oak tree, big or small, began as a small nut, all Christians begin a new life in Christ at the point of salvation. It is even called being “born-again.” We all are considered “baby Christians” at first and then as we “age in life” - we grow in the Lord. We learn to pray and listen for the Lord's direction. As we have faith for some things, we develop more faith for more situations. As we learn certain Scriptures with Holy Spirit revelation, we get more Light on those Scriptures and as we read new ones, the Light from previous revelation, makes other verses shine in a newer Light for us and so much more. And these beautiful processes never end in our lifetimes. As we make sacrifices of doing what is right and loving others past all kinds of ugliness, something amazing happens. We grow in Christ. And through this growth, we bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, who we submit to and lives in us.
Let us take a closer look at the following verses:
- Ephesians 5:9-10 For the fruit (the effect, the product) of the Light or the Spirit [consists] in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life. “And try to learn [in your experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [let your lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him].
Kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, trueness of life and the desire to learn and please the Lord can only be the result of the Holy Spirit and as these verses in Ephesians say, are constant proof of what is most acceptable to the Lord. Often times, we as Christians, expect non-Christians to have our morals and values when they are not saved and are living life in spiritual darkness, without the true influence of God's Word and the Holy Spirit. Non-Christians learn behavior according to the world around them. Christians re-learn their behavior from the Lord and His Word. Without becoming truly born-again, trying to push morality is like trying to put saddles on wild horses and tame them. Being a Christian and bearing the fruit of the Lord is from the inside out and completely different.
- Luke 8:15 “But as for that [seed] in the good soil, these are [the people] who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in a just (noble, virtuous) and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with patience.”
There are four types of ground (hearts) that Jesus describes being effected by receiving the seed of the Gospel. Only the fourth seed does not wither or fail and steadily brings forth fruit and even fruit with patience.
Only by the power and work of the Holy Spirit can a right heart and life, bear this fruit. He works with each of us wherever we are in our lives and continuously grows us in the Lord. The born-again spirit desires to be obedient to the Lord and yields to the direction of the Holy Spirit.
- Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed (Happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].
The heart of the person in Psalms 1:1-3 shows what it can be like with the Holy Spirit as God with us. It is true joy thinking of the Lord and His ways. It is not hard “to not go the way of the lost” because it is a path of downward spiral, not pleasing to God or beneficial to His children. When we are the planting of the Lord, we can be like the trees firmly planted by streams of water, not only bringing forth fruit when it is proper but even in times of drought or heat, we do not perish and the works of our hands are still blessed.
- Jeremiah 17:5-8 “Thus says the Lord: Cursed [with great evil] is the strong man who trusts in and relies on frail man, making weak [human] flesh his arm, and whose mind and heart turn aside from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub or a person naked and destitute in the desert; and he shall not see any good come, but shall dwell in the parched places in the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Most blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit.”
These verses in Jeremiah 17 are similar to the ones in Psalms 1. One of the results of the Holy Spirit working in us, is learning to not trust in our own strength or the strength of others or living our lives in a spiritual wilderness. The Holy Spirit working in our lives, helps us believe, trust and rely upon the Lord, who is our hope and confidence. And in these verses in Jeremiah, we see once again, as the planting of the Lord, pressure-some times cannot have us and we will stay green through it all. Worry cannot have us either and the fruit of the Lord will continue in and through us.
- Isaiah 11:1-5 “And there shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse [David's father], and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord— and shall make Him of quick understanding, and His delight shall be in the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord. And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, neither decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness and justice shall He judge the poor and decide with fairness for the meek, the poor, and the downtrodden of the earth; and He shall smite the earth and the oppressor with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His waist and faithfulness the girdle of His loins.”
How amazing and wonderful are these prophetic verses of Jesus in Isaiah 11. They show us who God really is, who the (Holy) Spirit of the Lord really is, and also all that Jesus would be when He would come in the physical. The Holy Spirit was prophesying through Isaiah of how He would be with Jesus and how Jesus would be. When the Holy Spirit is in us as born-again Christians, we are the temples of the Holy Spirit, the temples of God Himself living in us. He is the mind of Christ in us. The born-again nature, the divine nature is all available because of the “Spirit of the Lord.”
- Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit--that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
In these verses of Isaiah 61, Jesus was looking into the future and prophesying through Isaiah. One day, hundreds of years later, in the town He would grow up in called Nazareth, Jesus would leave home and eventually return one day, and stand in the local synagogue and read some of these very verses of Isaiah 61. And when He did, He said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing” (Luke 4:21). These verses were His mission statement, prophesied in advance and fulfilled during His ministry in Israel.
And in the book of Acts, many testify of what Jesus accomplished, fulfilling so many prophecies as He was always seeking and obeying the will of the Father.
- Acts 10:38 "... how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."
After Jesus was crucified, resurrected and before He ascended to heaven, He gave us virtually the same assignment to continue the mission. We, by the way of Him working through us with His Spirit, are to continue His work as we read about in the last chapter of the book of Mark.
- Mark 16:14-20 Afterward He appeared to the Eleven [apostles themselves] as they reclined at table; and He reproved and reproached them for their unbelief (their lack of faith) and their hardness of heart, because they had refused to believe those who had seen Him and looked at Him attentively after He had risen [ from death]. And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]. He who believes [who adheres to and trusts in and relies on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] and is baptized will be saved [from the penalty of eternal death]; but he who does not believe [who does not adhere to and trust in and rely on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] will be condemned. And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and He sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. Amen (so be it).
The first thing we see in the selection of verses above is that being rebuked and corrected is part of the fruit of the Spirit too. Sometimes we are the recipients and sometimes God even uses us for such purposes too. Next in Mark 16, we see Jesus commanding and admonishing His disciples then (and for all who would become His disciples in the future) to join in His mission, which we see that they did after Jesus ascended. And we can see in last verse that “the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied” This was done by the Holy Spirit then and has continued throughout the ages!
Let us read fresh again and see the heart of Jesus as John tells us what Jesus said in John 15.
- John 15:1-17 “I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me]. If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father's commandments and live on in His love. I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing. This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do. I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.] You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you. This is what I command you: that you love one another.”
All of the Vine (of Jesus) that the Vinedresser (the Father) has, can only bear the fruit and fulfill the calling of the Father by the Holy Spirit being in and with us. We can only be in the Lord and the Lord in us because of the Holy Spirit. All of His fruit, (the evidence of His character manifested in the branches which are the extensions of Him) is due to the Holy Spirit. Even the love that Jesus calls us to love with, the love of God, is received and passed on through us by the way of the Holy Spirit; on our own it is impossible and we can do nothing.
- John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
- John 16:13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come”
The fruit of the Holy Spirit comes from His leadership, from His voice speaking to us from the Father, from His urging and speaking to us of things to come, from His reminding us of the Bible verses that we previously put in our hearts and need later and from Him teaching us daily in our every day life.
One of the ways the Lord guides us is by “His peace” and is one of His powerful ways that we as Christians walk in. We know when all is good between God and us and have a special peace that is not like any other kind of peace (John 14:27). When we err and get off the right track, our peace is interrupted and we know that we need to stop and seek the Lord once again on how to get back on track. Once the correction is made, we get His amazing peace back.
- John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]"
- Acts 9:31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
The early churches had the peace of the Lord and were edified. In walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they grew in numbers also. This is all evidence of God working through the Holy Spirit. This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
- Romans 14:17 ... for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
- Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Righteousness, peace and joy in the Lord are wonderful fruit of the Spirit!
- Romans 8:14,16 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
The life led by the Spirit of God has the fruit of His work which shows who are the true sons of God. And the Holy Spirit bears witness of this. There are many who profess to be Christians whose lives do not truly bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Some are even good actors. But if one will truly listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit, His discernment will reveal the truth.
- Romans 8:5 Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants.
Once again, many say they are Christians but the truth is, “those who live as the Spirit tells them to, having their minds controlled by what the Holy Spirit wants” are the true children of God and the ones who truly live their lives with the real fruit of the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Peter 4:14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
What a blessing to bear the Name of the Lord and the fruit of righteousness and be persecuted for it. For this brings a special kind of glory when the Holy Spirit of God rests on us at such a time. This is a fruit not usually seen with the human eye but with the wonderful anointing of the presence of God that can only come from this kind of trial.
- Hebrews 13:1-5 Let love for your fellow believers continue and be a fixed practice with you [never let it fail]. Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood—being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are ill-treated, since you also are liable to bodily sufferings. Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (not dishonored); for God will judge and punish the unchaste [all guilty of sexual vice] and adulterous. Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]
Sharing God's love, as the Lord's care and grace abounds in and through us, is the fruit of His Spirit. Living a caring, righteous, clean and holy life bears the true fruit of the Spirit.
- Hebrews 13:15-16 Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. Do not forget or neglect to do kindness and good, to be generous and distribute and contribute to the needy [of the church as embodiment and proof of fellowship], for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
A thankful heart that praises the Lord in good times and bad, glorifies the Father and blesses the doer. Only the Christian led by their born-again spirit, submitted to and empowered by the Holy Spirit can do it. This is the fruit of the Spirit as well as being kind, generous and having the heart to help those in hard times. This fruit of the Spirit is sacrificial and totally pleasing to God!
Without being born-again and the work of the Holy Spirit in us, we would live according to the fallen nature we were (and all are) born with. This carnal (fallen) nature is our enemy. All Christians at one time, were their own lord and in bondage to a fallen nature. Praise God for His love, power and saving grace. Let us always be wary of the carnal nature.
In the following excerpt from Paul's letter to the Romans, he really breaks down what godly behavior that is clearly the fruit of the Spirit should look like. Much of this is also the same as or similar to what Jesus commanded of us Matthew 5, 6 and 7.
- Romans 12:8-21 He who exhorts (encourages), to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicity and liberality; he who gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness. [Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good. Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another. Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of God's people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality. Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief]. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits. Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God's] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.
In summation for the fruit of the Spirit, listed here are many aspects of the fruit of the Spirit but certainly not all, for all that is purely good, is of God.
Love/loving that never fades, fails or ends, brotherly affection, joy/joyful (gladness), peace/peaceful, patient/patience (an even temper, forbearance), kind/kindness, good/goodness (benevolence), faithful and true/faithfulness, diligent, dependable, gentle/gentleness (meek/meekness) humble, humility, self-control (self-restraint, continence), not boastful, prideful or vainglorious, not haughty, not conceited, not rude, not self-seeking, not easily offended, not resentful, does not over-think wrongs done to them, does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, loves justice and righteousness, moral, happy when righteousness and truth prevails, looks for and wants to see the best in others and situations, hopes even in rough circumstances and does not weaken in patience, respectful to God, considerate to others, love is not jealous or competitive in an unbalanced way, not envious or covetous, pure and right heart, true life, forgiving and grace/graceful, godly/godliness, piety, virtuous, delights in the Lord and His laws and ways, wisdom/wise, intelligent, knowledge and understanding/sense, relies on the Lord, has the reverential fear of the Lord, fair/fairness, not forgetful of those in need, helps the poor and oppressed, stands against, fights iniquity, has understanding of the Lord and what is right, mourns and comforts at the appropriate times, grateful and thankful to God, shares the Good News, prayerful and prays for others, glorifies the Lord, bridles their tongue, uses their words for life and not death, listens for the Holy Spirit, led by and obedient to the Holy Spirit, hospitable to others and including strangers, shares what they have, visits prisoners and shut-in people, true to their spouse, not lustful, not consumed with creature comforts and money, satisfied in whatever circumstances they are in, offers up sacrifices of praise, acknowledges and glorifies the Lord and His name.
All these types of fruit are edifying for us, those around us and give glory to the Father.
Many people, do not think of the fruit of the Spirit as spiritual. They think of the fruit as external evidence, feelings or behavior. Simply put, love, peace and joy for example are not physical things that can be put in jar. Being invisible does not make them less real. Secular science and education would have people think of spiritual matters merely as feelings - chemical responses of our nervous systems. In reality, the fruit of the Spirit is based in the spirit and are the result of the Spirit of God working in us as we are not only physical beings but are spiritual beings.
The works of the flesh, the negative actions and feelings, that come from not being in the Light, are spiritual also. They are the spiritual results of a lost paradigm, of a person not being right with God and making choices accordingly. The cost of rejecting the Holy Spirit is expensive. When we reject God, we reject His character and blessings. When we choose to be rebellious and have a rebellious heart, from it flows bad fruit. And this bad fruit is not only bad for the person bearing it but is unpleasant and not edifying to those around them.
We, as spiritual beings, in physical bodies, live our daily lives making choices and having conflicts that have to be dealt with all day, every day. Our choices and what we face not only affect our circumstances but must be dealt with in the spirit. Once again, man's science does not include “the spirit” in its mindset, but God and His Word does. The fruit of the Spirit makes life better for the ones bearing it and for those around them. The rejection of doing things God's way, make life harder and worse for those around them.
We are spiritual beings and all the decisions we make are spiritually based, whether we are in the Light or in darkness. Those in the Light, by the direction of the Lord, base their paradigms and decision-making according the fruit of the Spirit which is really the manifested character of God and which determines results accordingly. For example, If one wants to have hope, one chooses to hope and this produces the fruit of hope. Hope is a fruit and bears hopeful actions. The same is true of love, peace, joy, wisdom, patience, etc.
Everyone bears the fruit of their paradigm and choices. Those that live in the Light of God, bear His fruit. Those that live in darkness bear the fruit of it too. One producing life and the other producing death. As Christians, even though we sometimes fall short, if we stay and continue in the Lord, we still bear the fruit of the Spirit.
Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine,
neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit.
John 15:4b-5a (BSB)
neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit.
John 15:4b-5a (BSB)
COMPANION ARTICLES
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - BIBLE VERSES
A compilation of Scripture for contemplative thought & meditation.
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT VS. WORKS OF THE FLESH
A fresh look at recognizing: "the fruit the Spirit & its power for good" vs "the works of the flesh & its power for harm."
OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS CATEGORY
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Understanding the importance and impact of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - BIBLE VERSES
Bible verses about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
GIFTS AND MINISTRIES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
An in-depth article about the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit.
GIFTS AND MINISTRIES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - BIBLE VERSES
Bible verses about the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit.
WHO THE HOLY SPIRIT REALLY IS
The undeniable attributes & characteristics of God, the Holy Spirit with accompanying Bible verses.
MAIN MENU
Copyright © 2017 E. Cockrell. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - BIBLE VERSES
A compilation of Scripture for contemplative thought & meditation.
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT VS. WORKS OF THE FLESH
A fresh look at recognizing: "the fruit the Spirit & its power for good" vs "the works of the flesh & its power for harm."
OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS CATEGORY
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Understanding the importance and impact of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - BIBLE VERSES
Bible verses about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
GIFTS AND MINISTRIES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
An in-depth article about the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit.
GIFTS AND MINISTRIES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - BIBLE VERSES
Bible verses about the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit.
WHO THE HOLY SPIRIT REALLY IS
The undeniable attributes & characteristics of God, the Holy Spirit with accompanying Bible verses.
MAIN MENU
Copyright © 2017 E. Cockrell. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.