Mission Venture Ministries

Paul has just finished listing the results of yielding to our flesh. Now he explains the result of yielding to the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  (Galatians 5:22-23)

Before we look at the fruit of the Spirit we need to note the closing sentence: “Against such things there is no law” (5:23b). Paul is contrasting the freedom that Christians have as a result of their salvation by faith in Christ, and of God now dwelling within them by the presence of the Holy Spirit, with the futility associated with having to perfectly keep the law of God as given in the Old Testament in order to be saved, since Paul had already mentioned in Galatians 2:16 that “by the works of the law will no one be justified.”

Nevertheless, even though Christians now have the indwelling Spirit of God, and are saved apart from the works of the law, they still also have within themselves their old fleshly natures, which tempt them to take actions and exhibit attitudes that the law prohibited; that is, to misuse their new freedom by turning it into license.

Therefore, as Paul said, they should be led by the Spirit, and draw on the Spirit’s guidance and assistance to refrain from the kinds of actions and attitudes that the law prohibited and punished. Not as a means of being saved, but out of love and gratitude to God for the salvation that they have already received through faith in Christ; and to be witness to others of their new relationship with God, and of the active presence of God in their life.

Now let’s examine the fruit of the Spirit one by one.

LOVE

Is the first fruit of the Spirit mentioned 

In Greek, there are at least four words for love.

• Eros – Romantic love of the intimate relationship between man and woman.
• Philia – Brotherly love between people – friendships.
• Storge – Natural affection – love for family members and close relatives.
• Agape – Unconditional, selfless and sacrificial love. God’s perfect love.

Agape love is the unconditional and perfect love of God, found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. He is described as selfless, fair, true, patient and is above everyone else. Another characteristic is that the agape love from God is an infinite love and is granted to humanity undeservedly.

God wants people to follow His example, and to express this feeling towards others as a form of gratitude for His love manifested to all mankind.

Through agape love people are able to become kind, expecting nothing in return.

JOY

Is the second fruit of the Spirit

It’s easy to have joy when things are going our way. It’s a different story when they are not so wonderful. However, followers of Jesus are called to have joy all the time, not just when everything is going well.

To have joy means to be “happy” and the Bible tells us to: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). Even is we are sad, if we listen to Jesus’ words and obey them we will be filled with joy because we know that we are obeying our Savior.

The only thing that can steal our joy is sin because, is difficult to experience the joy of our relationship with God when we have done something that damages that relationship.  Joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit; when we grieve the Holy Spirit by our sin, we hinder our fellowship with God.  If we find that we are experiencing less and less joy in our life, we need to re-evaluate our relationship with Jesus Christ to make sure we are living as we should.

Biblical joy is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction, because we know that God will use these experiences to accomplish His work in and through our lives.

PEACE

Is the third fruit of the Spirit 

Sadly, the world doesn’t offer much peace; and the reason the world does not have peace is because they do not know the Prince of Peace. The Bible tells us: Do not worry about anything. But pray and ask God for everything you need. And when you pray, always give thanks. And God’s peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The peace that God gives is so great that we cannot understand it. (Philippians 4:6-7) 

Peace is directly related to the actions and attitudes of individuals; but it is ultimately a gift from God (Isaiah 45:7; Leviticus 26:6; John 14:27). The presence of peace indicates God’s blessing on man’s obedience (Isaiah 32:17; Malachi 2:5) and faith (Isaiah 26:3). 

Therefore, if we allow the Spirit of God to rule in our lives, we will experience His peace (Galatians 5:22-23). To be spiritually minded brings life and peace, according to Romans 8:6. And once His peace rules in our hearts, we are able to share that peace with others and become messengers of peace (Isaiah 52:7) and ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).

The Holy Spirit brings inner peace, which can exist in the midst of outward conflict. This peace flows from an implicit faith and a trust in God, that He will handle all the problems. And this faith itself is increased by the Holy Spirit, who introduces us to more and more of the depths of God (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).

This inner peace also comes through rejoicing, praying, and focusing our thoughts on the positive rather than the negative. Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

PATIENCE

Is the fourth fruit of the Spirit

As we live in a very fast-paced world we don’t find many people that have the patience Jesus wants us to have. Those who call themselves Christians and who have the Holy Spirit living in them should be patient with others. We are to be patient with those who are handicapped, those who are old and cannot move so fast anymore, and there are many other reasons that we can think of to practice being patient with.

Just as God is patient with us and waits for the lost to come to Him because He wants everyone to be saved  (2 Peter 3:9), we should show our love by being patient with one another (Ephesians 4:2).

A patient person is slow to anger as he waits for God to provide comfort and punish wrongdoing. A person may have the ability to take revenge or cause trouble, but patience brings self-restraint and careful thinking. We are patient through trying situations out of faith for a coming deliverance. We are patient with a difficult person out of compassion, and we choose to love them and want what’s best for them because we have the fruit of patience residing in us.

KINDNESS

Is the fifth fruit of the Spirit

The Holy Spirit can do some wonderful things in our life when we ask Him to give us a pure heart, because kindness yields marvelous fruit both in our lives and the lives of those around us. Scripture says:  Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Kindness is the characteristic that led God to provide salvation for us (Titus 3:4-5; Romans 2:4; 11:22). Kindness leads God to give us green pastures, quiet waters, and the restoration of our souls when we’re weary (Psalm 23:2-3). It is God’s tender care that makes Him want to gather us under His wings, to protect us and keep us close to Him (Psalm 17:8; 36:7; 61:4).

On multiple occasions, kindness induced Jesus to stop what He was doing and help others in need (Mark 6:34; Mark 7:29; Mark 10:46-52).

We must always remember that a kind word or kind action to a person can do wonders for them. They may be having a bad day, but when you are kind to them, you give them the opportunity to see the love of Jesus in you, and smile. And when we exhibit the kindness of God, being tender, benevolent, and useful to others; our every action, every word will have the essence of grace.

The Golden Rule is to do unto others as you would want then to do unto you (Luke 6:31).

GOODNESS

Is the sixth fruit of the Spirit

Goodness is virtue and holiness in action. It results in a life characterized by deeds motivated by righteousness and a desire to be a blessing.

God is good towards us and He wants you to treat other with goodness. The Bible says that it is the goodness of God that will lead sinners to repentance and salvation.

In letting the Holy Spirit control us, we are blessed with the fruit of goodness. Many people say that what drew them to want to know more about God was the love and goodness they saw shining through a believer, and that believer can be you!

FAITHFULNESS

Is the seventh fruit of the Spirit

Faithfulness is being committed, dependable, loyal; it is being conscious of what we are entrusted with. It is also having the certainty that the Scriptures accurately reflect truth. Biblical faithfulness requires belief in what the Bible says about God; His existence, His works, and His character. Faithfulness is the result of the Spirit working in us.

Being faithful to God means not putting other things above what He tells us to do like being kind to one another, following thru on something you promised someone you would do; it means being faithful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by obeying Him every day.

Do you give others a reason to trust you and have faith in you? Do you keep your promises? Always remember that God is faithful and keeps His promises, just as we must also do if we are to produce good fruit.

GENTLENESS

Is the eighth fruit of the Spirit

Gentleness, also translated “meekness,” does not mean weakness. Rather, it involves humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, restrained behavior toward others.

When we are filled with the Spirit’s fruit of gentleness, we will correct others gently instead of arguing in resentment and anger, knowing that their salvation is far more important than our pride (2 Timothy 2:24-25). We will forgive readily, because any offense toward us is nothing compared to our offenses against God; offenses He’s already forgiven (Matthew 18:23-35).

The opposites of gentleness are anger, a desire for revenge, and self-aggrandizement. If, however, we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will be filled with the fruit of gentleness like Jesus wants us to be filled with.

Jesus teaches us to deal with others in a gentle and compassionate way just like He did throughout His ministry here on earth. He gave us the perfect picture of gentleness: “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey” (Matthew 21:5), and now He offers us His gentleness as a gift. If we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we will be filled with fruit of gentleness.

SELF-CONTROL

Is the ninth and last fruit of the Spirit

One of the proofs of God’s working in our life is the ability to control our own thoughts, words, and actions. Self-control leads to perseverance and godliness (2 Peter 1:6) instead of the instant gratification the world has to offer.

Self-control is a gift that frees us to enjoy the benefits of a healthy mind and body. It frees us from a guilty conscience. Self-control puts the brakes on our foolish desires, giving us the freedom to love and live as we are destined to in Christ Jesus.

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As true born again Christians, we have the Holy Spirit producing fruit through us and we have the Holy Spirit’s power available to conquer the acts of the sinful nature. God’s Word tells us that, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Jesus said: “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16). Evidently not! So what kind of tree are you? Are you a good tree with healthy fruit?  If you think you are, have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and made things right with Him? Are you obeying Him every day and making Him the Lord of your life? Or do you think that you can have good fruit on your own merits?

Remember that just as a tree is recognized by its fruit; you cannot live life without God and produce good fruit.  You cannot be the “good” person that God desires you to be without becoming His obedient child, meaning you cannot do it on your own.  You need the power of the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you.  Only then, will you produce the kind of fruit of the Spirit that the Bible teaches us about.

If you want to live a life filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control remember what the Bible teaches: ^“I can do all this through Him (Jesus) who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

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