Certain trees bear certain fruits. To my knowledge, an apple tree will always produce apples. An orange
tree will always produce oranges. In the same way, true followers of Jesus will always produce a certain fruit.
These defining qualities and characteristics are called “the fruit of the Spirit” and are found in Galatians 5:22-
23. In that text, Paul lists nine qualities that every Christian should demonstrate every day: “But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such
things there is no law.” When people repent and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus
Christ, they receive the gift of God’s Spirit (Acts 2:38). Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, they are
empowered by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16) who dwells within them (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19) to
demonstrate the qualities that Paul lists here.
Standing directly opposed to the fruit of the Spirit are “the works of the flesh” in Galatians 5:19-21:
“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.” These
sinful behaviors are easily identified and will result in a person spending eternity separated from God.
What kind of fruit are we producing on a daily basis? If someone were to describe the way that we
live, would they say that we are full of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control”? Or would they use other words to describe us? These characteristics should be seen in how
we speak, act, use social media, interact with others, and deal with trials and stress. The fruit of the Spirit is
not a lofty goal that can only be reached by the religious elite; the fruit of the Spirit is a reality that should be
constantly seen in the life of each person who claims to follow Jesus. Can you imagine how much better our
homes, churches, schools, and places of employment would be if we all took the fruit of the Spirit seriously?
Certain trees bear certain fruits. What kind of tree are you? What kind of fruit are you producing?
Over the next several weeks, as we look at ourselves, we will consider the fruit of the Spirit. This week,
I want to challenge you to put the fruit of the Spirit somewhere where you can read it every day. You might
want to write it down on a sticky note and place it on your bathroom mirror. You might want to set the fruit
of the Spirit as your wallpaper on your phone or computer. At least once a day, take some time to read through
it and talk to God about living it out in your life. May God bless us as we strive to be who He wants us to be!
-Tyler Alverson
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