FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

“Live by the spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the spirit and what the spirit desires is opposed to the flesh… But if you are led by the spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these… those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against such thing (Galatians 5: 16 – 22).

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is a biblical term that sums up the visible attributes of a true Christian life – love, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control.

In the fruit of the spirit, there is unity; we notice that the word “fruit” is in the singular form. There is only one fruit of the spirit, but it contains nine virtues. If one of the virtues is missing, then we do not have the fruit of the spirit. In citrus specie fruits such as orange, etc we find the peel, inner layer, the fibre, the core, seeds, juice. If any of these components is missing it is no longer a fruit, it is something else.

The contrast between works and fruit is important. A machine in a factory works and turns out a product, but it could never manufacture fruit. Fruit must grow out of life, and in the case of the believer, it is the life of the spirit (Galatians 5: 25) when you think of “work” you think of effort, labour, strain, and toil: when you think of “fruit” you think of beauty, quietness, the unfolding of life.

The flesh produces dead works (Heb. 9; 14) but the fruit produces a living thing.  And this fruit has in it the seed for still more fruit (Gen. 1: 11). Love begets more love. Joy helps to produce more joy. Jesus is concerned that we produce “fruit … more fruit” (John 15: 2, 5) because this is the way we glorify Him.

Fruit in the singular also underscores the unity of the 9 spiritual attitudes, and emphasizes that all work together to produce a Christ-like believer, our Lord Jesus Christ being the perfect manifestation of the fruit of the spirit.

Paul does not say “fruits”, as though portions of fruit might be present in the believer and other portions might not. Instead the sense of wholeness and unity will be manifest in the believer. By contrast the deeds of the flesh are plural, and they represent no unity, nor do they produce unity but only produce strife between men. Paul talks elsewhere of the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12: 1- 11).

These should not be confused with the fruit of the spirit. The gifts are functions and capacities which are given to various people to enable them  serve the Christian community. Obviously, all Christians would not share the same gifts. However, the fruit which Paul talks here is found in its entirety in every believer whose life is led by the Spirit of God.

It is unfortunate that an over emphasis on gift has led some Christians to neglect the graces of the Spirit. And so even as the flesh of unbelievers will always produce deeds of the flesh, so too believers now indwell by the Spirit will always produce some good fruit. It is not unexpected that one aspect of the nine-fold fruit might be better developed than others, but the point is that all are present in every believer.

The quality of the fruit produced by a believer is dependent on his willingness to abide in the Lord, for Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me, and I in him bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15: 5).

The Christian life is a battle of the sinful flesh against the new nature given by Christ (2 Cor. 5: 17). As the believer experiences each of the virtues labeled the “fruit of the spirit” it becomes clear to him that the spirit-led life means living Christ-centered life.

Have a joyful week as you live a Christ-centred life.

Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon

S. Igein Isemede