THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (WEB)

Interestingly, in today's Bible reading, the Apostle Paul describes 'the fruit' of the Spirit, not the 'fruits' (plural). The fruit that a life led by the Spirit yields is a combination of many wonderful attributes... Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control are all facets of the same diamond.

In John 15:8, Jesus tells us that His Father is glorified when we bear much fruit, showing ourselves to be His disciples. The fruit that Jesus speaks about in John 15 is the same fruit we are discussing today. While our work in service to God bears good fruit, I believe the fruit that truly honors our heavenly Father is found here in today's Scripture reading.

While signs and wonders, healings, salvation, acts of service, etc., are all wonderful, they can sometimes be accomplished without manifesting love, joy, peace, etc. I believe that what our Father is looking for, first and foremost, is the fruit born in our own lives as a result of our knowing God personally and eternally loves us.

The more we know that we are truly accepted by the beloved, the more this revelation will set our hearts at rest in all that we do. The result will be more personal peace, joy, kindness toward others, and patience.

My prayer today is that we would all bear much fruit in the secret place of our own hearts. May the revelation of being completely and forever loved by the Godhead bring a deeper sense of well-being in our inner being than we have ever known.

May the external works we are all called to derive their life source from the truth that we are loved and accepted whether we do the work or not. May the result of living in love cause us to do the greater works that Jesus promised, but may those works never cause us to define what we think the fruit of the Spirit is.

John 15:4-9
4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you. 8 “In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples. 9 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. (WEB)