The Fruit of the Spirit


As a Christian, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, since the Spirit dwells in you.  Romans 8:9 “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”  You should be led by the Spirit.  Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”  You should walk in the Spirit.  Galatians 5:16 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”  There are times in each of our lives when we do not follow the leading of the Spirit; we do not walk in the Spirit.  But what God has done for you should cause you to love Him and desire to walk in the Spirit.

When the Holy Spirit of God lives in you and you walk in the Spirit, you will naturally bear the fruit of the Spirit in your life.  Galatians 5:22-25 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”  Let us look at the fruit you should be bearing in your life.

Love.  You will love God because He first loved you.  1 John 4:19 “We love Him because He first loved us.”  You demonstrate your love for God by keeping His commandments.  John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”  1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”  With this kind of love you will love your family, your brothers and sisters in Christ, your neighbors and even your enemies.  By walking in the Spirit, you will bear love in your life.

Joy.  You have joy in God and in Jesus Christ because of their love and grace to you.  Romans 5:11 “And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”  Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”  You rejoice in your salvation and in your inheritance in heaven.  1 Peter 1:3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.”  In spite of your trials in life, you have joy.  By walking in the Spirit, you will bear joy in your life.

Peace.  You have peace with God because of the sacrifice of Jesus.  Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  You have peace in your heart because you know that God is for you and loves you.  John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  In spite of trials and persecution, you have peace within because of your trust in God.  You have peace with all men.  Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” By walking in the Spirit, you have peace in your life.

Longsuffering.  You demonstrate patience in your life.  You don’t give up on your Christian walk nor on your relationships with others in spite of difficulties and trials.  Kindness.  You have goodness of heart and are sympathetic or helpful in nature.  Goodness.  Instead of working ill to your neighbor, you act beneficially towards him.  Faithfulness.  You have a firm conviction in God and Jesus Christ; you do not waver in your faith and trust in God.  Gentleness.  You are mild in manner and disposition and are easy to be approached and talked to.  Self-control.  You exercise restraint over your impulses, emotions, and desires.  By walking in the Spirit, you have longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in your life.

Perhaps you confess that you are not bearing all of the fruit of the Spirit in your life.  Do not give up.  My encouragement to you is for you to continue to walk in the Spirit and let the Spirit do His work within you.  God is not through working on you.  Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”


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