Who Wants Some Fruit? The Fruit Of The Spirit. 4/1/2015

Good Morning,
April 1st has arrived and I wonder how many pranks for April Fools Day will be sent my way. So I better coffee up with a big mug of Door County Blueberry Cobbler. That's my plan and I am sticking to it.

The Fruit of the Spirit. Let's consider the term Fruit to be plural, meaning more than one.  What is the Fruit of the Spirit? Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of a Christian. The Bible makes it clear that everyone receives the Holy Spirit the moment he or she believes in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14). One of the primary purposes of the Holy Spirit coming into a Christian's life is to change that life. It is the Holy Spirit's job to conform us to the image of Christ, making us more like Him.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is in direct major contrast with the acts of our sinful nature in Galatians 5:19-21, “The acts of the sinful nature 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.” This passage describes all people, to varying degrees, when they do not know Christ and therefore are not under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Our sinful flesh produces certain types of fruit that reflect our own nature, and the Holy Spirit produces types of fruit that reflect His nature.

All of the fruits are moral qualities not supernatural powers. There is a perception that exists that being filled with the Spirit makes us miracle workers who perform great signs and wonders. Miracles still happen through Christians. But this is not the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is a life that exemplifies  Christ and is characterized by the fruits of the Spirit, which are moral qualities. Not one is a miracle. The greatest miracle is the one that is happening inside of the Christian who desires to walk in the Spirit. These moral qualities exude from within and rise over our sinful nature. This is the true miracle.

Fruit for thought?

Marty