”But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23New International Version (NIV)
Galatians 5:22-23 Devotional
The Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 talks about the fruit of the Spirit, which is the Biblical term for the nine (9) visible attributes that should be evident in a Christian’s life (conduct) if the Holy Spirit dwells and works in them. And the fruit of the Spirit is in direct contrast to the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21).
The fruit of the Spirit is called so because it is something that is produced by a power that a person does not possess. On the contrary, work is something that a person produces by using his own energies or efforts.
Therefore, when you get (got) born again by giving your life to Jesus Christ, God deposits His Spirit in you (Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:13, and Ephesians 1:13-14). And thereafter, God’s Spirit works in your life to produce fruit. This is Paul commands us to live in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16).
Intimacy with Christ
God is keen to see His people produce fruit in the form of godly character (Luke 13:6-9). But we can only be fruitful and be identified with God when we become intimate with Christ (John 15:1-11).
Therefore, our fruitfulness is facilitated by our intimacy with Christ. In fact, our fruitfulness is directly proportional to our intimacy with Christ.
Nevertheless, the fruit of the Spirit is produced by the Lord Jesus Christ actively working through His Spirit in our lives. Therefore, the fruit of the Spirit is the result of God’s work in transforming a person into the image of Christ (sanctification).
The nine-fold fruit of the Holy Spirit
Consequently, the end product of God’s work in our lives is manifested in the following traits (characteristics).
- Love – Self-sacrificial love (1 Corinthians 13:4-13)
- Joy – Delight in God’s blessings
- Peace – Calmness of being a part of God’s family
- Longsuffering or patience – The ability and willingness to endure painful circumstances and injuries caused by others
- Kindness – The tenderness manifested when someone treats others with respect and consideration
- Goodness – The manifestation of the spirit of excellence
- Faithfulness – Being loyal and trustworthy
- Gentleness – The exhibition of tenderness and consideration for others
- Self-control – The ability to overcome carnal desires
Therefore, only a total surrender/submission to Jesus Christ is what will enable the fruit of His Spirit to be visible in your life. As Paul emphasized, it is God who saves us in Christ and gifts us His Spirit, so that by the same Spirit, we can be able to minister to one another.
In other words, God redeems us and empowers us to live for Him. But this does not mean that you will have nothing left to do. No, it means that you have the power in Christ, by His Spirit, to do what you should do.
Prayer/Blessing
Lord, I thank You for the Holy Spirit and His transformative work in me. Help me totally surrender to Him so that He may do His work in me without hindrance. I ask this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
May you be encouraged to manifest the fruit of the Spirit more and more. He has sufficiently empowered you. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Isaiah 32-37 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
