Fruit of the Spirit

"In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Gal 5:22-23).]

• love
• joy
• peace
• patience
• kindness

• generosity
• faithfulness

• gentleness
• self-control

Wisdom from the Garden

• Fruit is sweet and appealing.
• Fruit is fruitful: all fruit contains the seeds of new life.
• Fruit is the product of a whole season of growth. Fruit takes time to develop. "We don't plant seeds one day and harvest apples the next."
• Fruit is nourishing. Fruit satisfies in a way that other foods do not. Fruit is intended to be eaten.

Scriptural Associations

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Genesis

"Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen 2:9).

"The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" (Gen 3:6).

Mt 7:15-20

¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves.
¹⁶ By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
¹⁷ Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
²⁰ So by their fruits you will know them.

John 15

"I am the vine. You are the branches. My Father is the vinedresser. Remain in me and bear much fruit."

Cursing of the Fig Tree

Jesus cursed the fig tree because it did not give its fruit to Him. Very mysterious event!

Galatians 5

¹³ For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.
¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
¹⁵ But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.
¹⁶ I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
¹⁷ For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.
¹⁸ But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness,
²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions,
²¹ occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
²² In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.
²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
²⁶ Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another.

Links

• The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.