The Fruit of the Spirit encompasses nine (9) qualities of a godly life that the Holy Spirit builds in the lives of those who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
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| Fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23 |
The nine (9) Fruit of the Spirit – According to Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
The gift of the Holy Spirit distinguishes those in Christ (believers) from those in the world (unbelievers) because it strengthens the believers to bear fruits.
Apostle Paul presents the nine qualities of a member of the body of Christ, a life led by the Holy Spirit, as a direct opposite to the qualities of an ungodly life.
Paul refers to the contrary of the fruits of the Holy Spirit as “works of the flesh”, describing an ungodly life as one which is controlled by the sinful nature which every human is born with.
Galatians 5:19-21 – “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Fruit Of The Spirit
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| Fruit of the Spirit – Love – Galatians 5:22-23 |
When a person accepts Jesus Christ as Savior, the power of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon him to overcome his sinful nature and develop a character of Christ.
The essence of Paul writing Galatians 5 is to encourage those reading, that, you are no longer slave to sin as long as you belong to Christ.
- Love: Paul places ‘Love’ first in the Fruit of the Spirit. Love in Greek is ‘Agape’. It is that kind of Love God has for the things he created. Of the different kinds of love expressed by several Greek words, “Agape” is the highest of them all. The other Greek words for love include, ‘eros’ (romantic love), ‘storge’ (familial love) and ‘philia’ (friendship love). Agape is pure and selfless. It goes on to seek the best for others encompassing enemies at all times and all costs. Read 1 Corinthians 13. Agape Love made God sacrifice his “only begotten son” to save man from sin. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
- Joy: Paul is referring to something much deeper than a sense of happiness from happenings in life. It is a beautiful pleasure and rejoicing that happens to someone from the knowledge of, as well as service to God. The joy of the Lord gives us confidence. Nehemiah 8:10 – “…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
- Peace: Inner quietness that is firm and deeply rooted. It can be a scarce quality in tempestuous times. When things are getting too difficult, Christians can call on the Holy Spirit through prayer to bestow a sense of peace. Paul describes this peace as beyond the understanding of man. Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
