Fruit of the Spirit: a list of attributes important to display in our daily lives. Therefore, Paul admonishes the church to live by the Spirit. Consequently, righteous living is evident in our lives.
Admittedly, Paul gets the credit for this list. However, Jesus talked about fruit. Check out Matthew 7:17.
“In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.” (NCV)
Why do you suppose fruit is chosen? Well, just look at the fruit salad below.
While the mix of colors and textures entice us to partake, living by the Fruit of the Spirit attracts people to the faith.
So, How do we Practice the Fruit of the Spirit?
Discover the answer to the above question during the next 10 months. We overview the Fruit of the Spirit this month and look at each individual fruit beginning in March and ending in November.
With this in mind, begin by reading Galatians 5: 22-23.
First let’s look at what the Bible says about fruit.
“If you want good fruit, you must make the tree good. If your tree is not good, it will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces” (Matthew 12:33 NCV).
“A good tree does not produce bad fruit, nor does a bad tree produce good fruit. Each tree is known by its own fruit” (Luke 6: 43-44a NCV).
Undoubtedly, our fruit betrays us for good or bad. Conviction!
Especially since, in Galatians, Paul recorded a list of what I call rotten fruit immediately before the list of good fruit. Some of this rotten fruit is also found in Colossians 3: 5-9 and 1 Peter 2:1.
So, Which Fruit do you display in your life?
Ponder (yes, I said ponder) the above list. What do others see in your life?
(You may have noticed there are 10 listed in the above tree. That is because some versions list goodness and others generosity. I put both on the tree with their counterpart.)
How do we Live by the Fruit of the Spirit?
Drawing close to God and being more sensitive to the Holy Spirit is the goal of this series.
Growing in the Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the seed of the fruit. As long as the limb stays connected to the tree the fruit grows naturally from the seed. Accordingly, our fruit grows naturally out of our relationship with God and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
So, Why is it hard?
Gardeners battle weeds constantly. Why? Because they compete for nutrients and introduce pests and disease. That is what happens with sin in our lives. Therefore, we must fight against our old sin nature that competes and distracts from the work of the Spirit.
Just like fruit must ripen before it is ready to be picked, we have seasons of life too.
Sometimes we are bright red apples ready to be picked!
AND OTHER TIMES
We allow ourselves to fall and rot on the ground.
So, let us examine these fruits over the next few months and learn how to grow in the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT together.
Resources and Comments
Also, I didn’t forget this is Valentine’s Day month. For a more Valentine’s Day like post check out: First Love: A Valentine for Jesus. If you want more information about the Fruit of the Spirit check out “Got Questions.”
Of course, as always comments are not only welcomed, but encouraged.
