We are to put others’ needs and interests before our own. If someone hates or offends us, we are still to treat them with respect and care for them as if they were our own brother or sister. We are even told by Jesus to love our enemies. It is self-sacrificial, not driven by emotional stimulation, and is the noblest virtue. It reveals itself in action despite how we may feel. The Bible says that love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, not easily angered, does not keep a record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.īecause God is love, we need to look to Him to show us how to love deeply and sincerely. The characteristics of love are listed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. People will know if we are Christians by the way we love. Jesus said in Matthew 22 that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second greatest is to love your neighbor as yourself. Between faith, hope, and love, love is the greatest of all. We will take a look at the definition of each fruit and give an example of how that fruit looks practically lived out in a Christian’s life.Īptly listed first is the fruit of love. They sometimes overlap in meaning but all work together to reveal Christ-like character. The nine virtues of the fruit of the Spirit are all distinct and important qualities that both God and His Son Jesus exhibit. They are all displayed together to those who are walking in the Spirit. You do not get to say that one day you want to show love, joy, and peace but not patience, kindness, or faithfulness. Meaning, that you need to exhibit all the virtues at once. If there are nine characteristics listed, then why use the singular “fruit”? Unlike the sins of the flesh, the Fruit of the Spirit cannot be separated. John 15:5 says that apart from Christ we can do nothing, specifically bear much fruit.Īn important thing to note is that it does not say “fruits” of the Spirit, but “fruit” of the Spirit. They are virtues that are produced by the Holy Spirit when we are connected to Jesus. The Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 is a type of inward fruit. Outward fruit are the things that you do while inward fruit is who you are becoming. In God’s Word, fruit can symbolize two types: inward or outward. What Does it Mean to Have A Fruit of the Spirit? It is an inheritance that is generously given to us by God. The Greek word for fruit is “karpos.” This word can translate to mean “a result of something, profit, or work.” When the Fruit of the Spirit is displayed in our lives, it shows the beneficial results of a life surrendered to God. You can find the nine characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. On the contrary, living by the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:19-21 says that our sinful nature includes sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. The fruits of the Spirit are opposite to what our flesh produces. “The Spirit-fueled development of Christ-like character is liberating, because it brings us closer to being the people we were designed to be, the people our Spirit-renewed hearts want us to be.” – Tim Keller Paul responds by emphasizing that it is by grace alone through faith in Jesus that we are saved, not by works and that the evidence of salvation is a life lived by walking in the Spirit. He wrote it in response to hearing that a group of Judaizers living under the Mosaic Law had begun influencing the new converts away from the Gospel of grace. Galatians is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the people of Galatia after helping to start churches on his first missionary journey to Asia Minor. The fruits of the Spirit are found and listed in the new testament book of Galatians. 3 Fruits of the Spirit in the Bible What are the Fruits of the Spirit in the Bible?
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