The Fruit of the Spirit
The Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:16-17; 22-23
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The Bible makes it clear that there is a conflict between our flesh and the Spirit. We will either be led by one or the other, not both. It is our nature to be carnal. It is our nature to fulfil the “lust of the flesh.”
Ephesians 2:3
3 among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Every believer must make ongoing, conscious choices to put down the desires of the flesh and be submissive to the desire or will of the Spirit. When we do this, we allow the new life that has been given to us to replace the old patterns of behavior with new ones, the destructive works of the flesh are replaced with constructive attitudes, actions, and character traits, otherwise known as the “Fruit of the Spirit.”
Last session we talked about the “Gifts of the Spirit” and there are a lot of people who get the gifts and fruit confused. If you will recall, while we are to desire the gifts, they are not things you can work for. You’re not used in the operation of the gifts based on your Spirituality, or your proximity to God. Gifts are gifts, and they are released based on your availability and the willingness to be used. In contrast, that’s not the way the with the “fruit.” The Fruit of the Spirit is a result of a Christian’s maturity in their walk with God.
There are nine characteristics of the fruit that Paul identified. However, notice that Paul does not call them the “Fruits”, it is the fruit, singular. Why? Because these characteristics are not something that you can go through and pick and choose. As you walk with in the Spirit you will mature and you will manifest the Fruit of that walk.
Love, Joy, and Peace
1-Throughout the Bible there are many different words that have been translated as love. Phileo (φιλέω - fee-LEH-oh), a term found twenty-five (25) times in Scripture refers to the natural love that exists between friends. Philostorgos (φιλόστοργος - fee-los'-tor-gos), is the natural, or instinctive affection found within families. Here in Galatians the word used for love is agape. This is a term that describe the selfless, benevolent love that God has shown us. It makes no demand, and you can see exactly how this love is defined by a thorough examination of 1 Corinthians 13.
Jesus used this form of the word when He spoke
John 15:12
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
2-The word joy translated here in Galatians may not exactly meet your expectation of the word. Most think of joy as meaning a bubbly emotion or excitement that causes unending laughter or euphoria. But in the Greek what we have is the word chara (χαρά - khar-ah') which truly means a calm delight. It is a place in our lives in which the work of salvation in us directs us to handle all matters from an eternal perspective. Think of it from the perspective of this verse.
2 Corinthians 4:17
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
3-The word peace in the Fruit of the Spirit simply means a place of tranquility or quietness. But it also carries with it a connotation of healing, or better said, wholeness. In our present world this is becoming a far more uncommon feeling than we would like to admit. Social unrest, racial divide, suicide rates that continue to climb each day. But for the one who walks in the Spirit, the one who has allowed the Fruit of the Spirit to begin to mature in his or her heart, that person knows peace. More than just a calmness, but a spirit that has been made whole.
Philippians 4:7
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Longsuffering, Gentleness, and Goodness
4-Paul lists a word that is not common in today’s language, longsuffering. But it’s meaning is simple. Patience. While it’s not hard to understand, it can be one of the more difficult fruit to bear. Think about it, do we live in a patient culture? Not at all. We have been led to believe that we should have what we want and we should have it now. Think about it, we are told we want faster internet, better phones, express delivery or better yet overnight prime delivery for online purchases. We even now have one button on the microwave to get our stuff heated faster. Is it any wonder that we have become impatient in our prayer lives?
Hebrews 10:36
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Even Jesus knew this would be an issue, why else would He say,
Luke 21:19
19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
5-Gentleness is not being a wimp or a pushover, but it is having the Spirit of God in our hearts, shaping us, and changing us. It will lead us to rein in harsh words, eliminate cruel acts, and eradicate unkind thoughts toward others. Just think how much better life would be if we would gently respond to anger, rather than harshly reacting to it. Have you ever met that person who can just bring calm into a heated situation? That’s gentleness.
Proverbs 15:1
15 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
6-The last of this trio of fruit is the word goodness. Goodness speaks of an internal moral and ethical purity that is demonstrated in our interaction with the world. A true Christian will be honest with his words, upright in his business deals, marked by integrity and high moral standards. Notice these verses.
Hebrews 11:2
2 […] the elders obtained a good report.
Hebrews 10:24
24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Matthew 25:21
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Notice the word good in each of these verses. This is how the fruit of the Spirit marks our life and directs us as we journey through life.
Faith, Meekness, and Temperance
7-Faith is a prerequisite to pleasing God. Hebrews says,
Hebrews 11:6
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
But it’s not God’s desire that we be full of faith, it’s that we be faithful, or maybe you can relate better to this word, consistent. This means that your walk with God should not be marked by extreme highs and extreme lows. As humans we are imperfect, we will make mistakes, we will drop the ball, but dropping the ball is not the same as being marked by constant fluctuations in your walk with God. As we mature in God, as we bear the fruit of the Spirit, we should begin bearing consistency. We should strive that our faith be just the same on Monday as it was on Sunday.
8-As with gentleness, meekness also does not mean that we are to be weak, pushovers, who allow themselves to be doormats. On the contrary, meekness means that our strength has been surrendered to God’s control. Our actions, our words, our attitudes, every single part of us have all been submitted to His will. Think of it like this, a well-trained horse can be led by a child, with a single bit and halter. That same horse can be harnessed to a plow and accomplish much in a single day. Similarly, when we are in a posture of meekness before God, we can do far more than if we try to operate in our own strength.
James 3:13
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
9-The last aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is temperance, or more commonly known as self-control. It refers to firmly reining in one’s innate, sinful desires. Going back to our example of the horse and child, it is like keeping a tight grip on the halter that is around the neck of the beast. We recognize that if left unchecked that beast is capable of much more than we want to allow, so we maintain firm control. But I must interject that I am not speaking of just human will. Temperance is a fruit of the Spirit, and as such it must go much further than human will. It’s God’s power that directs us in the process of corralling our desires. It’s God’s power that helps us resist our flesh. Oppositely every time we give in or accommodate our flesh, we reject God’s sovereignty in our lives.
Proverbs 25:28
28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.