THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Gal 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Having warned the Galatian brethren about the works of the flesh, and their resulting consequences, Paul now admonishes them to conduct their lives in a manner that would result in Christian fruit of the Spirit. It can be concluded from these scriptures that, if the human nature of mankind is relied on for all things, works of the flesh will result. However, when one hears, believes, and obeys the will of God, which is found in His Holy Spirit-inspired New Testament scriptures, then the fruit of the Spirit will be produced. Virtuous Christian characteristics are not the result of the mind of man, but are produced by the desire to live as our Creator willed, through His Holy Spirit, the Bible, which tells us how God wants His children to conduct their lives on earth. References used in the previous lesson on works of the flesh, are the same as used in this lesson to establish the fact that obedient Christians will produce these Spirit-inspired fruit.

Love - Love is emphatically commanded in New Testament scriptures. It was God's Son, Jesus Christ that firmly established the essential nature of love in all that believed, obeyed and followed Him. He taught, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matt. 22:37-40). The meaning of love is completely described in 1 Corinthians 13, which concludes with the truth that charity (love) is the greatest of Christian characteristics. One cannot fully understand the meaning of love without referring to the writings of the apostle John. He wrote, Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love (1 John 4:7-9). Love is the highest characteristic of God; He requires it of all His obedient children. It is the single most necessary attribute in which all other Christian characteristics harmoniously blend. To be obedient to God, love is necessary within every Christian heart. Where love abides, God dwells. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us (1 John 4:12).

Joy - Joy is elation; it is a very glad feeling. Toward ourselves, it is happiness, great pleasure, and delight; it is anything that brings about this feeling. To give joy to others is to bring much gladness and pleasure into their lives; to bring into their lives the emotional state of joyfulness. In degree, joy lies somewhere between satisfaction and exultation. Spiritually, one finds joy in faith (Phil. 1:25). As Christians, there is joy knowing that we have the hope of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:8). In Christ, God's children experience a joy that cannot be taken from us (John 16:22). To all faithful followers of Christ - to all that endure the trials and temptations of life on earth, He gives us this joyful promise: Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven (Matt. 5:12a).

Peace - The world understands peace primarily as the freedom from war, civil strife, public disturbances and disorder. To most, peace means law and order within one's society. On a more personal level, peace is freedom from disagreements and quarrels; it is harmony and concord; it is calmness, quietness, and tranquility. Peaceable conditions such as these are exactly what all people of world need today and in days to come. However, there is a peace available to every Christian that those in the world cannot have. Jesus, Himself told His followers, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27). Paul wrote that, as a justified Christian, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1). The gospel message itself, preaches peace by Jesus Christ (Acts 10:36). Where there is unity within the church of Christ we find the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3)

Longsuffering - This desirable Christian characteristic is the determination and ability to patiently tolerate and endure insults, injuries, and troubles for an extended period of time; it is forbearance through love. Exodus 34:6 tells us that God is longsuffering toward His people. Christians must emulate this same godly attitude. Like God's love, true Christian love suffereth long (1 Cor. 13:4). Peter wrote that, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). This demonstrates God's love toward those that desire to become His children. God does not overlook the sins of men and women, but He does give them sufficient time and opportunity to repent of their sinful ways and return to Him. Christians are expected to do likewise.

Gentleness - This fruit of the Spirit means the demonstration of moral excellence in both character and conduct. It is the kind, tenderhearted, generous, sympathetic outward behavior resulting from inward grace toward others. A Christian, that is, a servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men (2 Tim. 2:24). The true spirit of gentleness makes the heart kind, it calms and sweetens one's temper, it corrects and cures an irritable disposition, and it tames the mind and soul of all that possess it.

Goodness - Paul's commendation to the Christians at Rome was that they were full of goodness (Rom. 15:14). Christians are to be disposed to do good to others. Goodness is the fruit of a heart that has been purified by the Spirit of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Goodness is a basket that is carried by all faithful Christians, which is filled with kind deeds that are given freely to all that are in need.

Faith - As it is used here, faith means fidelity toward God. As His adopted children through Jesus Christ, faith is the loyal devotion needed to fulfill the duties and obligations required by our Heavenly Father. The allegiance of every Christian is required by God. As used here, faith is rightly using the talents God has given each of us, and, at the close of our lives and to the best of our abilities, returning them to Him with a bountiful increase (See the Parable of the Talents, Matt. 25:14-30).

Meekness - To be meek is to demonstrate humility toward God. It is a conscious choice of gentleness toward all other men and women that we chance to meet. Meekness is not weakness. Indeed, meekness is strength that is under control at all times. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was meek (Matt. 11:29), and, by His example, He recommends this characteristic to all of His followers. He taught that those with a meek disposition, shall be blessed, ...for they shall inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5). Meekness is that characteristic that every Christian should "put on and wear" for all to see as you walk in the vocation wherewith ye are called (See Eph. 4:1-3).

Temperance - Most believe that temperance is the restrained control over eating food and drinking beverages. Although included, the biblical meaning of temperance is far more than these. Temperance is the exercise of self-control over all of one's appetites, cravings, and sensual desires. In order for you to gain this characteristic and become the master of a godly, Christian life, it is necessary for one to be temperate in all things (1 Cor. 9:25). Abstinence is not required in order to lead a temperate life, but self-restraint is necessary in all things that one has the right to indulge in. Moderation in all good things is a virtuous characteristic every Christian should practice; it should always be found in their conduct.

To every Christian, these are the fruit of the Spirit. The study of God's word, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, and one's dedicated obedience to its truthful doctrine, will yield a bountiful crop of spiritual fruit.

(A)gainst such there is no law. There is no law of God, nor is there any civil law, that prevents the existence of these wonderful characteristics in the life of any person. They are universally accepted as good qualities to govern the lives of both men and women of all ages.

The last verses of this chapter summarize the lessons which precede it. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. To walk, as Christ walked, crucifies, or puts to death, all inordinate lusts of the flesh that lead one into sinfulness in the sight of God. Continuing in the remaining verses following the lesson text we read that (i)f we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit, will result in a bountiful harvest of the spiritual fruits found in the lesson text. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Vanity, although practiced by worldly people, is not a desirable characteristic for a Christian. It is provoking and brings nothing but contempt for other men and women that are considered to be inferior to themselves. Vain glory is the root of envy and strife among brethren. Within the church of Christ, works of the flesh are to be put away and replaced by the fruit of the Spirit. This is God's will. It has been given to us in this lesson text through the Holy Spirit-inspired teaching of the apostle Paul. Hear it, believe it, and obey it by letting it be the spiritual guide for every aspect of your life.