FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

There are all kinds of fruits and they all come from a particular tree. The orange tree produces after its kind-an orange, likewise, the Holy Spirit produces after Himself-fruits of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit, or the renewed nature, received as new creatures in Christ when are the following nine Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control. The Spirit defends against sin. He also produces in Christians the positive traits of godly character. As we get to know the person, presence and power of the Holy Spirit there will be a natural by-product: fruit. What does that mean? Simply this: as you develop your relationship with God, through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, there will be a marked change in your attitude toward everything.
The Holy Spirit’s power is more than just to enable us to do the supernatural. He empowers us for the journey from doing what pleases the flesh to what pleases God. This is not an easy journey, but it is also not a lonely journey. We have been given the Holy Spirit and we have been given the church to help us develop into the person God intends. When we receive Christ, the Holy Spirit dwelling in us begins to produce these fruits after Him. We grow the fruit of the spirit, patterned after our recreated spirit and do away with the fruits of the flesh to identify us as citizens of God’s kingdom, the kingdom that consists of power, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. It must be through the squeezing of our spiritual fruit by the storms of life that we recognise what is inside of us, otherwise, all that we can accomplish in our strength and determination will fall short of God’s standard in comparison.
Significantly, the apostle distinguishes between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Works are produced by human energy. Fruit is grown as a branch that abides in the vine, John 15:5.
The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of God’s work in our lives when we are obedient to the Holy Spirit and dependent on the word of God, not the works of our strength, knowledge and efforts. John 15:1-5.
Only by allowing Christ to prune us through obedience, trust and humility, do we begin to earnestly exercise the fruits of the spirit.
The branch that bears fruit is the Christian who is growing more like the Lord Jesus. Even such vines need to be pruned or cleansed. Just as a real vine must be cleaned from insects, mildew, and fungus, so a Christian must be cleansed from worldly things that cling to him. The Holy Spirit produces one kind of fruit, that is, Christlikeness. All the virtues listed in vs 22, describe the life of a child of God.
Your fruit will be squeezed and plucked by life, ask God for the grace to withstand this, as this is the only way you will find out what fruit you have in you.
Shalom

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