FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT

Being Christ-like or living a Christ-like life is serious business! One of the ways your Christianity will be measured or how your Christian growth will be determined is when you exhibit the fruits of the spirit, which are Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness faith, Meekness and Temperance. It is important to note that becoming a born again Christian is the first stage of starting the process. It is not easy and the journey is quite challenging. The bible says: "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whateveryou want". (Galatians 5:17). It is a constant battle between the spirit and the flesh to do what is right.

The picture above denotes a person who has not yet given his/her life to Christ. The Holy Spirit is broken and the light of God is dead. The Spirit of God has not yet been activated in their soul/spirit.

Often times, such a person will be characterised by sadness, depression, confusion, emptiness, unforgiving spirit, crisis, loneliness, confusion, anger, dead soul/spirit. The bible says that "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21).

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)

From the diagram above, you see a person who has activated the Holy Spirit in his/her life/soul/spirit by becoming a born again Christian. The Holy Spirit is whole (and alive) in their lives and the light (showers of blessing) of God is upon them.

This person should now follow the Christian Journey and begin to exhibit the fruits of the Spirit.

Fruits of the Spirit

1. Love – affection with no conditions. Agape love is universal love
   • "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13: 34-35)
     Qualities of Love in 1st Corinthians 13
   • "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.
   • Love never fails
   • "Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love"
     Others
   • "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44)
   • Love is the first, the last and the strongest bond in experience; it outlives all changes and bears the strain of the most diverse opinions.
   • Love is the doorway through which the human soul passes from selfishness to service and from solitude to kinship with all human kind.
   • Love must be learned and learned again and again there is no end to it.
   • Give me love in my heart, keep me serving.
   
   
   
2. Joy: Feeling of happiness and contentment - "Jesus First, Others in Between, Yourself Last"
   • "Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away" (Isaiah 51:11)
   • "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10)
   • "Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will take joy in the God of my salvation" (Habakkuk 3:18).
   • "These things I have spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11)These things have I spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full
   
   
   
3. Peace: Is the state of harmony between people and groups
   • "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the, which also you are called in one body; and be you thankful" (Colossians. 3:15).
   • "And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever" (Isaiah 32:17)
   • "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7)
   • Give me peace in my heart, keep me resting
   
   
   
4. Longsuffering: Is enduring pain, unhappiness without complaining, long and patient endurance.
   • Slow to anger, great kindness (abounding in loving kindness), plenteous in mercy (Nehemiah 9:17);
   • The Lord is compassionate and gracious, gracious slow to anger, abounding in love (Psalm 103:8; Joel 2:13))
   
   
   
5. Gentleness: is having a mild moderate, kindly nature or character, controlled, tame of good breeding. Gentleness is not weakness but restrained strength
   • ..."speak evil of no one, to avoid quarrelling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people..." (Titus:3:2)
   • "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will" (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
   • Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness (1Timothy 6:11)
   • But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17)
   
   
   
6. Goodness: Is a state of quality of being good generous, kind, having moral excellence and virtue.
   • And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Roman 8:28)
   • Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind (Psalm 31:19)
   • The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfils the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them (Psalm 145 15:19)
   
   
   
7. Faith: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrew. 11:1)
   • "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously andwithout reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts, is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways(James 1:5-6)
   • "By grace we are saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8)
   • "For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Colossians 3:26)
   • "For we walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)
   • "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrew 11:16)
   
   
   
8. Meekness: Patience submission humble, gentleness forbearance.
   • "For the Lord takes pleasure in His people, he will beautify the meek with salvation" (Psalm 149:4)
   • "The Lord lifted up the meek, He caste the wicked down to the ground" (Psalm 147:6).
   • …."even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (1 Peter 3:4)
   • "But the meek shall inherit the earth shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace" (Psalm 37:11)
   • "The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord" (Isaiah 29:19).
   • "The meek shall eat and be satisfied they shall praise the Lord that seek him, your heart shall live forever" (Psalm 22:26)
   • "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5)
   
   
   
9. Temperance: Restraint or moderation - is the moderation of one's desires in obedience to reason when you are in the right, you can afford to keep your temper and when you are in the wrong, you cannot afford to lose it and nothing is as strong as gentleness.
   • For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21)
   • As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions (Romans 14:1)
   • But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire (Matthew 5:22)
   • Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath (Colossians 2:16)

Fruits of the Spirit

• You cannot add to the peace and goodwill of the world, if you fail to create an atmosphere of harmony and love right where you live, work or in your local community
• Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance
• Where there is patience and humanity, there is neither anger nor disturbances.
• Where there is poverty with joy, there is neither covetousness nor avarice.
• Where there is inner peace and meditation, there is neither anxiousness nor dissipation.
• Where there is fear of the Lord to guard the house, there the enemy cannot gain entry.
• Where there is mercy and discernment there is neither excess nor hardness of heart.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5)

Prayer: O Lord let me walk along the path of life in steadiness of faith, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness and in meekness of spirit in heart of gratitude and in gentleness of love in Jesus name; Amen.

By Mrs E.A Oludipe

Contributor: Adeola Sonola
"Fruit of the Spirit Commissioners"