Part 1: What is the fruit of the Spirit?
Up Next:
Part 2: What is “love” as a fruit of the Spirit?
Part 3: What is “joy” as a fruit of the Spirit?
Part 4: What is “peace” as a fruit of the Spirit?
Part 5: What is “patience” as a fruit of the Spirit?
Part 6: What is “kindness” as a fruit of the Spirit?
Part 7: What is “goodness” as a fruit of the Spirit?
Part 8: What is “faithfulness” as a fruit of the Spirit?
Part 9: What is “gentleness” as a fruit of the Spirit?
Part 10: What is “self-control” as a fruit of the Spirit?
This is a 10-part series on the fruit of the Spirit.
Before we dive into the Fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22, we have to look at some of the influences on Paul’s ministry.
We read in Matthew 7:16, Jesus tells his disciples, “ You will recognize them by their fruits."
And in another passage, he says, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” ( John 15:5)
These conversations with Jesus happened before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (as seen in Acts 2). These conversations also happened before Paul wrote his letter to the church in Galatia.
In any plant or fruit-bearing tree, if the branches are cut off from the main vine for any reason, they will cease to bear fruit. If branches grow too far away from the main vine, they could get spindly and unhealthy, because the connection to the main vine isn’t strong.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. - John 15:7 (ESV)
We must stick close to Jesus. The farther we drift from Him, the more likely we are to bear unhealthy fruit.
Abiding is not “works”
“Spiritual wins, spiritual success is seen by the fruit we bear and that develops by remaining planted.”
The fruit of the Spirit (ὁ καρπος του πνευματος [ho karpos tou pneumatos]). Paul changes the figure from works (ἐργα [erga]) in verse 19 to fruit as the normal out-cropping of the Holy Spirit in us.[1]
The world (and sadly sometimes the Church) considers “works” to be all-important. Striving for all the things the world has to offer. Working for the Kingdom can easily become all about the ‘gain’. But what God wants, as Paul addresses, is for the Holy Spirit to control our hearts and take us away from focusing on what we are doing. The plants that bear fruit have no other ‘work’ to do except that. The same goes for believers. We need to do Kingdom work- yes, and because we live in a fallen world (Genesis 3), we have physical work that must be done. But Spiritual wins, spiritual success is seen by the fruit we bear and that develops by remaining planted.
Paul addresses in Romans what it means to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit,
For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on i the things of the Spirit. Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:5-6)
Paul warns us in Galatians 5: 16-21 what happens when we are not abiding in Christ, if we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to continually sanctify us, allowing the Spirit to lead, guide, and direct us.
If we cease to abide in Christ, we may not die a physical death, but our soul and our spirit will be open to what Paul warns us about in verses 16-21.
The closer we are to Jesus, the more we lean on and lean into the Holy Spirit, the better the fruit we will produce. As Joel Muddamalle, PhD has said, “The fruit of the Spirit is the fragrance of the Kingdom of God.”
As this series progresses, we are going to take a look at each fruit of the Spirit that we need and as believers, we should exhibit.
We must stick close to Him. The farther we drift from Jesus, the more likely we are to bear unhealthy fruit.
Consider This: Consider what you need to do to ensure you are leaning in and abiding in Christ?
Carol Graft is passionate about teaching about Jesus and the Bible. She has served on teaching teams, women's ministry teams, and has led workshops at women's conferences. Carol loves discussing books and the Bible and encouraging others in their faith walk or life in general.
Footnotes
1 A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Ga 5:22.
