Fruit Of The Spirit

If you think about it, most of the “fruits” we think of are not necessarily easy to produce.
In fact some seem to be contrary to our nature.

For instance, loving an enemy is not a natural response to someone when they do evil to us. But God says we should do exactly that. So how do we change into “fruitful” children of God?

Lets first look at some of the fruits we are to produce:

Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

To gain additional insight, lets examine some of these “fruits” in their original Greek form. (For this study I will first show the English word, followed by the number assigned to it in Strongs Exhaustive Concordance with the English alphabetic form of the Greek word itself. Than I will show the definition as it appears in Thayers Greek Definitions to define the word).

First of all lets look at “fruit” itself to see what this word means:

Fruit (2590 karpos) Definition:
1) fruit
1a) the fruit of the trees, vines, of the fields
1b) the fruit of one’s loins, i.e. his progeny, his posterity
2) that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result
2a) work, act, deed
2b) advantage, profit, utility
2c) praises, which are presented to God as a thank offering
2d) to gather fruit (i.e. a reaped harvest) into life eternal (as into a granary), is used in fig. discourse of those who by their labours have fitted souls to obtain eternal life

Using deductive reasoning, we can see from the context which of the definitions above would apply in this passage. I include the entire definition for the sake of complete disclosure, but we can see that the “fruit” here referred to is 2 a,b,c, and as we shall see d as well.

The first listed fruit of the Spirit is “love” in verse 25.

Love (26 agape) Definition:
1) brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence
2) love feasts

Second we have “joy”.

Joy (5479 chara) Definition:
1) joy, gladness
1a) the joy received from you
1b) the cause or occasion of joy
1b1) of persons who are one’s joy

Third “peace”.

Peace (1515 eirene) Definition:
1) a state of national tranquillity
1a) exemption from the rage and havoc of war
2) peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord
3) security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)
4) of the Messiah’s peace
4a) the way that leads to peace (salvation)
5) of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is
6) the blessed state of devout and upright men after death

Fourth “longsuffering”.

Longsuffering (3115 makrothumia) Definition:
1) patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance
2) patience, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs

Fifth “gentleness”.

Gentleness (5544 chrestotes) Definition:
1) moral goodness, integrity
2) benignity, kindness

Sixth “goodness”.

Goodness (19 agathosune) Definition:
1) uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness

Seventh “faith”.

Faith (4102 pistis) Definition:
1) conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
1a) relating to God
1a1) the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ
1b) relating to Christ
1b1) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God
1c) the religious beliefs of Christians
1d) belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same
2) fidelity, faithfulness
2a) the character of one who can be relied on

Eighth from verse 23 “meekness”.

Meekness (4236 praotes) Definition:
1) gentleness, mildness, meekness

Ninth we have “temperance”.

Temperance (1466 egkrateia) Definition:
1) self-control (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites)

So there we have nine “fruits” listed which God wants us to produce.

But how do we produce them? Even though we may agree these are worthy character traits, they are also contrary to our nature in many cases.

Lets see if elsewhere in the New Testament we are given clues as to how to produce fruit.

James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

“Worketh patience?” What does “worketh” mean?

Worketh (2716 katergazomai) Definition:
1) to perform, accomplish, achieve
2) to work out, i.e. to do that from which something results
2a) of things: bring about, result in
3) to fashion, i.e. render one fit for a thing

So in this passage from James we see that temptations and trying of faith help to produce the “fruit” of patience. It goes on to say that we will, by these trials become perfect and entire wanting nothing. But does trial only produce “patience?” Lets see:

Romans 5:3 -5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

According to Romans 5, we see that trial and tribulation not only produce patience, but this leads to experience, which leads to hope. Why does trial produce these qualities?

The fruit of the Spirit is partially work done by the Spirit upon us. Romans 5:5 alludes to this “by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”.

Then what are these qualities here mentioned?

First, tribulation produces “patience”.

Patience (5281 hupomone) Definition:
1) steadfastness, constancy, endurance
1a) in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings
1b) patiently, and steadfastly
2) a patient, steadfast waiting for
3) a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

Second, patience produces “experience”.

Experience (1382 dokime) Definition:
1) proving, trial
2) approved, tried character
3) a proof, a specimen of tried worth

Third, experience produces “hope”.

Hope (1680 elpis) Definition:
1) expectation of evil, fear
2) expectation of good, hope
2a) in the Christian sense
2a1) joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation
3) on hope, in hope, having hope
3a) the author of hope, or he who is its foundation
3b) the thing hoped for

And hope “maketh not ashamed”.

Maketh not ashamed (2617 kataischuno) Definition:
1) to dishonour, disgrace
2) to put to shame, make ashamed
2a) to be ashamed, blush with shame
2b) one is said to be put to shame who suffers a repulse, or whom some hope has deceived

This then is a quality NOT produced by the Holy Spirit, but defeated by His work. It is contrary to our former natural way of thinking and living.

Is the Holy Spirit solely responsible for our bearing fruit then? No, we have to remain faithful through, and though faced with, trial and tribulation.

Ephesians 5:8-10 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

The “fruit of the Spirit” then resides in “all goodness and righteousness and truth”. This is where we take on the active part in producing fruit unto God.

Lets look at a definition of “worketh” once again.

Worketh (2716 katergazomai) Definition:
1) to perform, accomplish, achieve
2) to work out, i.e. to do that from which something results
2a) of things: bring about, result in
3) to fashion, i.e. render one fit for a thing

Above we see our part as well. We must attempt to “perform, accomplish, achieve” if we expect to “fashion or render one fit for a thing”.

Jesus said we are to produce or show forth:

Matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: Here talking to Jews showing their personal burden or responsibility to work towards being accepted.

Outside of Christ, these “fruits meet (proper) for repentance” were to be generated and performed without the Holy Spirits aid.

To be accepted then requires effort to a point, and then a reliance on God’s power to complete, or “bring to fruition”.

2Timothy 2:1-6 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

In closing, two things stand out in the above passage. First notice verse 1 alludes to what we have discussed here.

The labor we perform, along with the labor of the Holy Spirit with us fall under the “grace that is in Jesus Christ”.
Not solely relying on God by not doing any labor ourselves; or relying only on our own strength; but recognizing the role of the Spirit in our lives.
By doing this we can “be strong in the grace”.

What follows is a combined effort, the Spirit helping our weakness (or infirmity Romans 8:26), and together “enduring hardness” while we “strive for masteries” we therein labor.

In the end, by the power of God, our efforts along with the work of the Spirit, allow us to be “first partaker of the fruits”.