Have you ever tried the fruit of a cocoa pod? It reminds me of the wholesomeness we experience when we bear the fruit of the spirit.
The cocoa pod has a hard, elongated, leathery shell filled with pulpy white fruit. And inside of the white fruit is where chocolate is born.
Memories of the good ole days as a kid living in Jamaica floods my mind whenever I get to enjoy the sweet, tart fruit. As a child, nothing could beat that sweet, simplistic moment.
What is the Fruit of the Spirit?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Galatians 5: 22-23
These nine attributes of the fruit of the Spirit are indications of the presence of the Holy Spirit working within a believer.
When I was a little older, I learned the beans my mom grind into cocoa powder to make delicious hot chocolate came from the same fruit I enjoyed so much.
I thought this tree not only produced tasty fruit—which was good enough for me—but the seeds turned into chocolate too?
Undoubtedly, this discovery amazed me—if only someone had told me sooner, I would have saved the seeds.
A cocoa tree doesn’t ponder how it will grow, bear fruit, and turn its seeds into chocolaty goodness. But it thrives and bears delicious fruit for us to enjoy.
Like the joy of a child discovering something new for the first time or the care-free way the tree bears fruit, the Holy Spirit will develop the fruit of the spirit within us. And with time, we too can experience the goodness.
But the bottom line is this—we need to move out the way, and wait for the Holy Spirit to work.
The Purpose of Bearing the Fruit of the Spirit
Bearing the Fruit of the Spirit Helps Fight Works of the Flesh
“The works of the flesh is adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and any similar to these behaviors.”
Galatians 5:19-22
Since we live in an imperfect world, our flesh and Spirit conflict with each other. As long as we are in our human form, sinful practices and thoughts will continue to wear its ugly head.
The good news?
The Holy Spirit connects us to God. And the Spirit loves holy things. Instead of depending on our perceptions and emotions to make choices, we should lean into the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit plants the fruit of the Spirit within us, we will better manage our sinful nature.
Bearing the Fruit of the Spirit Prevents Outward Aspiration
We too often confuse the fruit of the Spirit as an outward approach—a goal we can achieve if we only set our minds to it.
I know I am guilty of it.
The book of Galatians focuses on justification by faith. Paul sent a letter to the church of Galatia to address the false teachings occurring in the church. Jewish legalists claimed that faith in the Messiah alone was not enough for righteousness. Instead, they taught believers that legalism—the works of the law—is how they get right with God.
For instance, I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of stories around the world of people performing acts of kindness.
Sadly, while the act appears benevolent on the surface—not everyone’s actions manifest from bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
Let’s be honest.
Many individuals do it strictly for recognition and gratification.
John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
No amount of generous acts can warrant our salvation. Our good works are a result of our salvation—a gift from God. Frankly, if our deeds could deliver us, then our Messiah died on the cross for nothing.
Why it is Important to Bear the Fruit of the Spirit
The fruit of the Spirit helps us stay steadfast and fervent during our Spiritual work. As believers, we are free from the law, but not free to do whatever we want. We each have a ministry calling. It is our load to carry.
We must bear the fruit of the Spirit—otherwise, we will struggle to carry out the requirements of our ministry, or worse, we will not meet them.
While evangelism and missionary work are significant areas of ministry, God gave us other ways to spread His word—which means many possibilities for the fruit of the Spirit to show up in our lives.
We meet the requirements of our ministry through our services, testimonies, and our day-to-day interactions with others.
But that’s not all, as the Holy Spirit moves within our lives, it will amaze us how simple it becomes to bear the fruit of the Spirit. At some point, we will perform good works and produce good fruit—not from ourselves—but the Holy Spirit.
How to Bear the Fruit of the Spirit
Paul urged the believers in the church of Galatia not to surrender themselves to the curse of legalism. In Galatians 3: 2-3, he asked them, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
It perplexed Paul that the believers—so dear to his heart—came this far through the Spirit, but now believes their work could make them righteous.
Likewise, we can’t bear the fruit of the Spirit through our works. The Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit within us when we have reverence for God, build a relationship with Him, and draw closer to Him through prayer and reading and meditating on His words.
Fruit of the Spirit Memory Verses
1. Love (affection of benevolence)
- “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
- “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” (1 John 4:11)
- “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” (Ephesians 5:2-3)
2. Joy (cheerfulness, calm delight, gladness )
- “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)
- “Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.” ( Psalm 32:11)
3. Peace (state of national tranquility, harmony)
- “O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.” (Job 13:5)
- “He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.” (Proverbs 11:12)
- “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” (Proverbs 17:28)
4. Longsuffering (patience, endurance, forbearance)
- “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:2)
- “But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,” (2 Corinthians 6:4)
5. Gentleness (integrity, kindness, moral goodness)
- “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,” (2 Timothy 2:24)
- “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
6. Goodness (uprightness of heart and life)
- “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” (Psalm 85:10)
- “And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” (Romans 15:14)
7. Faith (conviction of the truth of anything, the character of someone who can be relied on)
- “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1Corinthians 2:5)
- “For we walk by faith, not by sight:” (2Corinthians 5:7)
8. Meekness (humility)
- “To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.” (Titus 3:2)
- “Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.” (Psalm 138:6)
- “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)
9. Temperance (self-control)
- “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:6)
- “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” (Proverbs 25:28)
Final Note
In sum, the fruit of the Spirit is a gift from the Holy Spirit—given to believers, who allow the Spirit of God to work within them.
Are you enjoying the wholesomeness?
