"Fruit" normally means the seed-associated fleshy structures ( or produce) of plants that typically are sweet or sour and edible in the raw state, such as apples, bananas, grapes, lemons, oranges, and strawberries. In botany, the term "fruit" in everyday language, are nuts, beans pods, corn kernels, tomatoes, and wheat grains.
As a Believer in Christ, you have been gifted with the Holy Spirit, which enables you to bear "fruit." The Holy Spirit is God, just like God the Father and God the Son. He is equally associated with the other members of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us. Scripture describes the Holy Spirit in personal terms, not as an impersonal force. He possesses emotions, intellect, and will. The Bible says that He teaches, guides, comforts, and intercedes for the Believers in Christ. The Believer who is indwelled by the Spirit is also indwelled by God. The Holy Spirit possesses the attributes of deity, such as omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. Whatever God can do, so can the Holy Spirit do, such as creating, regenerating, and sanctifying.
The Holy Spirit brings conviction to the unbeliever, causing him or her to see the truth of the gospel. Those who respond to this conviction and place their faith in Jesus Christ receives eternal life and a new nature. The Holy Spirit controls the believer who yields to God and submits themselves to God's Holy Word. When this happens the Believer will live in the power of the Spirit and will produce the fruit of the Spirit.
What is the "fruit of the Spirit?" Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Paul says that when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us. Before Paul talked about the "fruit of the Spirit" he talked about the fruit that comes from our sin. We all have natural evil desires and we can't ignore them. In order for us to follow the Holy Spirit's guidance, we must deal with them. How? By nailing them to Jesus' cross. The will of the Holy Spirit is in constant opposition to our sinful desires. The two are on opposite sides of the spiritual battle.
The Spirit produces character traits, not specific actions. We can't go out and do these things, and we can't obtain them by trying to get them. If we want the "fruit of the Spirit" to develop in our lives, we must develop the characters that are found in Jesus. We must learn to know Him, love Him, remember His commands, obey Him, imitate Him. Please note that "fruit" is the word used and not "fruits," love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is a whole package. We don't get some fruit and not all of it. All of theses are the "fruit" of a life lived for Jesus and guided by the Holy Spirit. A life filled with the Spirit of God will produce "fruit" that is sweet and will draw people to God. God doesn't produce sour fruit that will turn people away from Him.
The sour fruit is the sin in our lives and are the works of the flesh. "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21). Now if you at one time fall into a fit of anger, envy, or jealousy, that doesn't mean that you will automatically be excluded from God's kingdom, but that you are living your life according to the flesh and not the Spirit.
The moment you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then the Almighty God, God the Spirit, begins to take over and begins to change your life. Paul says, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please" (Galatians 5:16-17). Walking by the Spirit is living a Spirit-filled life. If you are born of the Spirit, you have the power of the Spirit working in you. The work of the Spirit will change you. You have the power of heaven available to you to help you live a life that is pleasing to God. Live your life daily depending on the Holy Spirit's power.
Comments