Creator, Father, King #288

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

WHAT DO THE FOLLOWING have in common?

• Caryopsis
• Feijoa
• Hesperidium
• Jujube
• Kumquat
• Mamoncillo
• Rambutan
• Schizocarp
• Soursop

Why, they’re all different types of fruit, of course!

But in today’s verses, the apostle Paul talks about nine very different types of fruit that are essential parts of the Christian life. These fruits do not hang from any tree limb or sprout from any vine. But they do grow inside you as your faith matures in the Lord.

These are “the fruit of the Spirit.”

What’s It Mean?

Why did Paul use the fruit metaphor? Perhaps he was drawing from Jesus’ similar teaching about knowing a tree by its fruit in Matthew 7:15-20, where the Savior said, “Just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions” (verse 20).

Earlier in Galatians 5, Paul gave his readers (and us) the following warning:

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: 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. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

The distinction between “the desires of your sinful nature” and “the fruit of the Spirit” couldn’t be any starker. It’s literally the difference between night and day, darkness and light, evil and good.

Those who love God should want nothing to do with wicked desires. We should strive “through the power of the Spirit” to “put to death the deeds of your sinful nature” (Romans 8:13).

Rather, we are called to manifest godly spiritual fruit. But this doesn’t come naturally from our own morality. That’s why it’s called the fruit of the Spirit. Only when God’s Spirit dwells inside us through faith in Jesus Christ—and as we prayerfully, humbly, and obediently walk in step with him—can we truly exhibit these kinds of godly character traits.

Look at those two lists again in Galatians 5. What characterizes your life? May God give you the grace to bear the fruit of the Spirit as you seek to glorify him!

Now What?

Memorize Galatians 5:22-23. (And if you’re really feeling adventurous, try one of those exotic fruits mentioned above!)

Did You Know?

There was a reason Paul listed love first in his “fruit of the Spirit” list. See 1 Corinthians 13 for the answer (especially verse 13).