Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit
10 Truths
Table of Contents
Truth #1: The Fruit of the Spirit is already at work.
Truth #2: The Fruit of the Spirit is one fruit.
Truth #3: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Spiritual Warfare (Galatians 5:16).
Truth #4: The Fruit of the Spirit Counters the Flesh (Galatians 5:17).
Truth #5: The Fruit of the Spirit Conquers the Flesh (Galatians 5:18).
Truth #6: The Works of the Flesh Are Obvious (Galatians 5:19-21).
Truth #7: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Love, Joy, and Peace (Galatians 5:22).
Truth #8: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Patience, Kindness, and Goodness (Galatians 5:22).
Truth #9: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Truth #10: The Fruit of the Spirit Works from the Inside Out (Galatians 5:24-26).
Truth #1: The Fruit of the Spirit is already at work.
The word “fruit” when used in the New Testament can have its actual meaning of fruit. But many times, “fruit” is a word used in place of character or actions. Think of it as the “fruit of your labor.”
The Holy Spirit does His work (fruit) in you the moment you are saved. You only have to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in obedience. Not that obeying is easy.
Truth #2: The Fruit of the Spirit is one fruit.
You can’t see it in English Bibles, but the word for fruit in the original language is singular. There are 9 qualities of that fruit the Holy Spirit is working in you.
The nine qualities of the Holy Spirit’s work (fruit) in you are descriptions of His results. When you have love, joy, peace, etc. Working in your life, it is because the Holy Spirit is working when you in the background of your life.
Is the Fruit of the Spirit something you give to others or is it something you have for yourself? In other words, do I love others as the Fruit of the Spirit or do I experience love for myself? The Fruit of the Spirit in my opinion is both.
You experience love from others and give it to them. You understand the love of God and feel it from Him. You experience it for yourself but others experience it from you.
Truth #3: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Spiritual Warfare (Galatians 5:16).
You are in a spiritual war. That’s why the world persecutes you. Your war is against your flesh. The “flesh” is the old self before you met Jesus. It wants you to think, believe, and act like you used to. It’s a pervasive, pushing, pressuring presence.
Your job is to reject, deny, and stand against it. You treat it like old, nasty, grody clothes you threw away forever. You have a new designer outfit given to you by Jesus. That is your new self.
The Holy Spirit helps you to stand against your flesh by giving you the Fruit. Through cultivating the Fruit in you, you can win every battle of temptation your flesh brings. It’s a constant battle you must win. Rely on the Fruit of the Spirit He is working into your character and behavior.
Truth #4: The Fruit of the Spirit Counters the Flesh (Galatians 5:17).
The Fruit of the Spirit is your best weapon against the flesh. You cannot deny those old desires on your own. You need His help. That is one of the reasons He is with you.
The desires of the flesh fight with the Fruit of the Spirit. They are opposed to one another. They are like the offense of one team fighting against the defense of another. Remember that your flesh is on the defense. Take your place and conquer the flesh from the high ground.
Your new desires as a new creature in Christ must be your default, your first nature. That is what the Holy Spirit is doing in you. It helps you to conquer the flesh.
Truth #5: The Fruit of the Spirit Conquers the Flesh (Galatians 5:18).
When you practice the Fruit of the Spirit, you conquer the flesh. Choose the Fruit over the flesh. You will win over temptation every time you choose the Fruit.
The Holy Spirit is cultivating the Fruit in you, but you must obey Him when He addresses your character flaws and old nature. Trust the Holy Spirit as He guides you through this process of Fruit cultivation.
When you follow the Spirit’s lead in obedience and surrendered submission, fighting the flesh gets easier.
Truth #6: The Works of the Flesh Are Obvious (Galatians 5:19-21).
We have talked about how the flesh battles the Spirit in our last email. Like many lists in the Bible, this list is not complete. That means even if you do not do these 15 things, there are many more things your flesh will do if you allow it.
When he says the works of the flesh are obvious or evident, they are plain, visible and easily recognized. I will give the meaning of some of them, but I cannot cover them all in one email.
Sexual immorality contains the junk drawer of all sexual sins. This includes anything outside of marriage. Debauchery is extreme sinfulness, taking sinful pleasures to the max. Witchcraft is sorcery as defined by the Old Testament.
The word for carousing following drunkenness implies excessive feasting and reveling. Paul uses it in Romans 13:13 the same way. It reminds me of when the Israelites were partying at Mount Sinai while Moses was talking to God.
Paul gives a stern warning that those who do things like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is God’s rulership on the earth through the hearts of people. It is also a reward for salvation and righteous living.
These works disqualify a person from being part of what God is doing. Paul does not tell us if they disqualify you from heaven and eternity. They are nothing to be trifled with. All works of the flesh put you in opposition to God.
Truth #7: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Love, Joy, and Peace (Galatians 5:22).
Let’s describe the first three qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit. The first, and some say top characteristic is love. This is the unconditional love that only God can teach us. We care for the unlovable, those everyone else has rejected. RYou see people as God sees them.
Joy is a quality of the Fruit that refers to much more than a momentary, surface happiness. This is deep-down gladness. It comes from our security in God. Even in the midst of trials, joy bubbles to the surface. That is how James says we can have pure joy despite our trials (James 1:2-4). We know that no matter what, God is working all things together for His holy good in us.
Peace is not stopping the fighting. It is a harmonious fellowship with everyone you meet. This is impossible for the world to achieve. They can stop the fighting with treaties and deals, but they cannot produce and inner peace reflected by outward cooperation and kindness to everyone. Only the Holy Spirit can work this kind of peace in our hearts.
Truth #8: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Patience, Kindness, and Goodness (Galatians 5:22).
Patience is the ability to endure hardship and suffering. The person with patience can handle anything that comes their way. You can see how this requires the Holy Spirit to help. Unlike the world, we do not run from these tests of our faith and character. We know God is strengthening us through them.
Of the 10 times kindness appears in the New Testament, 6 of them refer to God’s kindness. Kindness is the active display of care and intense compassion for others. You meet the person in their pain and anguish. You become a healing balm to them.
Goodness works with kindness. It is the quality of being good, of moral excellence in your care for others. Goodness is everything the world is not. So look around you and see how worldly people treat one another and you. Do the opposite, and you will be full of God’s kindness and goodness to others.
I know some of this teaching is long, but I hope it helps you to see the Fruit of the Spirit and how the Spirit is weaving these characteristics together in your life. He is cultivating them as a farmer cultivates the fruit of the land. My next email will be the last in this teaching series on the Fruit of the Spirit.
Truth #9: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Faithfulness is a character trait you can only learn from God. God has always been, and cannot be anything other than faithful. To be faithful is to be consistently dependable. In relationships, it means to be loyal. You are there for people no matter what.
Most of all, we need to be faithful to God. That means no idols (anything that takes God’s place in priority, devotion, and commitment). You have to keep reminding yourself that you are not part of this world. Your home is in heaven.
The word gentleness might be more familiar to you if you realize that it is the same word for meekness. This is quiet strength. You do not use your authority and power the same way the world does. You know when to speak up, act, and use your power as a Christian for maximum Kingdom impact.
Self-control is the hardest of all the Fruit of the Spirit. It requires us to listen to the Spirit, have a disciplined mind, and react the way Jesus wants us to rather than the way we normally would. You cannot cultivate this quality of the Fruit on your own. The Holy Spirit has to help you live a self-controlled life. You hold yourself accountable, put others first, and practice humility.
Truth #10: The Fruit of the Spirit Works from the Inside Out (Galatians 5:24-26).stop
Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit is a cooperative effort. While the Holy Spirit develops these qualities in you, you are denying your old desires and focusing on obeying the Holy Spirit. Crucifying your flesh gives you the ability to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Focus on loving others with unconditional love. This is the first quality of the Fruit. Every other quality is based on love. Self-control gives you the power to show others all the qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit.
Give yourself time to develop and cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit. It doesn’t happen all at once. Don’t beat yourself up if you fall short in these qualities. Trust that the Holy Spirit is working in you as you follow Him.
Truth #11:
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