“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
Can you imagine a world full of love, joy, and peace—people living together with patience, kindness, helping one another with gentleness, and working together with self-control? What would that be like? In a word, it would be paradise, which is what Adam and Eve had together with God before sin.
This is the abundant life that Jesus wants us to have in him (John 10:10). Now, how different would this world be if Jesus’ church was full of the fruit of the Spirit—if all throughout the Lehigh Valley his disciples were known for love, joy, and kindness?
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
Unfortunately, that has not been many people’s experience when they think of Christians. Our friends and neighbors see people who claim they follow Jesus putting their hope in the things of this world. Yes, we might belong to a church, but our hearts are chasing power and glorifying ourselves.
“Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:8
The fruit of our lives show that our hope is not rooted in Jesus. Our fruit shows that we are connected to what is temporary and self-centered.
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:43-45
A tree full of apples cannot claim to be a peach tree. A lemon tree cannot fool you into believing it’s an orange tree. In the same way, we are known by our fruit, so how can we bear the fruit of the Spirit that Paul is describing here?
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5
We must embrace that Jesus is the vine, and we are his branches. It is vital that we stay connected to him, that we know how loved we are by him, and that our value comes from him. He wants to be close and intimate with us. As we spend time in prayer, reflection, and reading his Word, we know him more. The Holy Spirit transforms us, and his fruit becomes apparent to everyone.
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
Our Heavenly Father is an amazing gardener. As we know him more, he prunes us, opening our eyes to what he wants to remove to make us even more fruitful.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:1-2
In his love, he changes our desires, making us to be more like Jesus day by day. Our desire becomes to be with the one who loves us most, not as a duty or obligation. As we abide in him, the fruit of the Spirit begins to grow in our homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces, drawing the hungry and hurting to the eternal fruit of his perfect love.
(For Further Reading on the fruit of a Spirit-filled life: John 6:63, Romans 15:13, 1 Corinthians 12:3-13; 14:12, 2 Corinthians 13:13, Galatians 5:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22, 1 John 3:23-4:6; 4:12-15, Jude 1:18-21)