Lesson 82: How to Bear the Fruit of the Spirit
God does not merely want believers to appear religious.
He desires their lives to bear spiritual fruit.
A person may know Christian language.
He may attend church, possess spiritual gifts, speak confidently, or remain active in ministry.
Yet his relationships and private conduct may still be marked by:
anger;
envy;
pride;
selfishness;
impurity;
division;
or lack of self-control.
The Holy Ghost was not given merely to produce religious experiences.
He works within believers to produce character that increasingly reflects Jesus Christ.
Paul writes:
“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, KJV
Fruit Comes From Life
Fruit is not attached to a dead tree to make the tree appear alive.
It grows because life is present within the tree.
In the same way, spiritual fruit does not begin with outward imitation.
It begins with spiritual life through Jesus Christ.
A person may learn to appear calm, polite, disciplined, or generous for many reasons.
He may want:
approval;
a good reputation;
professional advancement;
or influence.
Those outward qualities can resemble spiritual fruit.
But the fruit of the Spirit comes from the Holy Ghost working within a person who belongs to Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Fruit Does Not Save Us
A sinner is not saved by producing enough love, peace, patience, or self-control.
Salvation is through Jesus Christ.
He died for sins and rose again.
The believer is reconciled to God through faith in Him.
Spiritual fruit is not the price of salvation.
It is evidence of the new life and continuing work of God.
The fruit does not replace the gospel.
It grows from the gospel.
Fruit Is Expected
Although spiritual fruit does not save, a fruitless profession should never be treated carelessly.
Jesus said:
“Ye shall know them by their fruits.”
— Matthew 7:16, KJV
Fruit reveals something about the tree.
One isolated act does not reveal the whole life.
An unbeliever may perform a kind deed.
A believer may respond sinfully in a moment of weakness.
We must examine the continuing pattern.
Over time, a person’s life reveals what is governing the heart.
Where the Holy Ghost is working and the believer remains responsive, there should be developing fruit.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Contrasted With the Works of the Flesh
Galatians does not present the fruit of the Spirit in isolation.
Paul first describes the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit.
He writes:
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh:
and these are contrary the one to the other…”
— Galatians 5:16–17, KJV
Then Paul names works of the flesh, including:
adultery;
fornication;
uncleanness;
hatred;
strife;
envyings;
murders;
drunkenness;
and other sins.
The fruit of the Spirit grows in opposition to those works.
You cannot cultivate spiritual fruit while deliberately feeding the flesh.
Works and Fruit Are Different Pictures
Paul speaks of the:
“works of the flesh”
and the:
“fruit of the Spirit.”
The flesh produces sinful actions consistent with fallen human desire.
The Spirit produces character consistent with God’s nature and will.
The word fruit also reminds us that spiritual character develops organically over time.
Fruit cannot be forced to maturity overnight.
But it should not remain permanently absent.
A healthy branch gradually produces what is consistent with its source of life.
The Fruit Is a Unified Work
Paul says:
“the fruit of the Spirit is”
and then names several connected qualities.
We should not treat them as unrelated options.
A believer cannot rightly say:
“I have joy, so love does not matter.”
“I am peaceful, so self-control is unnecessary.”
“I am gentle, so I never need to stand for truth.”
The Holy Ghost forms a balanced, Christlike character.
Growth may be stronger in one area than another, but every quality matters.
Spiritual Gifts Are Not the Same as Spiritual Fruit
A spiritual gift is an ability or ministry entrusted by God for the good of others.
Fruit concerns the character being formed within the believer.
A person may possess a visible gift while remaining immature.
He may preach powerfully but treat his family harshly.
He may sing beautifully while envying others.
He may lead effectively while refusing correction.
Giftedness can attract attention.
Fruit demonstrates whether the gift is being carried with Christlike character.
God desires both faithful service and holy character.
Personality Is Not the Same as Fruit
Some people are naturally:
quiet;
cheerful;
patient;
or disciplined.
Others are naturally intense, expressive, or cautious.
Temperament may affect how a quality appears.
But natural personality should not be confused with the fruit of the Spirit.
A quiet person may appear peaceful while inwardly holding bitterness.
An outgoing person may appear joyful while depending upon attention.
A naturally agreeable person may appear gentle because he is afraid of disagreement.
Spiritual fruit reaches deeper than temperament.
It governs motives and conduct under God.
Fruit Becomes Clear Under Pressure
A person may appear patient when nothing delays him.
He may appear peaceful when every circumstance is favorable.
He may appear gentle when everyone agrees with him.
Pressure reveals deeper character.
What happens when:
someone interrupts you;
a plan fails;
you are corrected;
another person receives recognition;
or you do not get your way?
Trials do not automatically create spiritual fruit.
They expose what is presently growing and provide opportunities for the believer to respond through the Holy Ghost.
The Source of Fruit Is Christ
Jesus said:
“Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine;
no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”
— John 15:4, KJV
A branch does not create life independently.
It receives life from the vine.
Jesus continued:
“He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit:
for without me ye can do nothing.”
— John 15:5, KJV
The believer does not produce true spiritual fruit through independent self-improvement.
He bears fruit through continuing dependence upon Christ.
Abiding Is Not Passive
Abiding in Christ does not mean doing nothing and waiting for character to appear.
It includes:
remaining in His Word;
praying;
obeying;
confessing sin;
receiving correction;
participating in the church;
and depending upon His grace.
The branch does not strain independently to manufacture fruit.
Yet a believer is not a mindless branch.
God commands conscious faith, surrender, and obedience.
Fruit is the Spirit’s work, but believers must remain responsive to that work.
Walk in the Spirit
Paul’s instruction is clear:
“Walk in the Spirit.”
A walk consists of repeated steps.
Bearing fruit involves daily choices.
The believer must repeatedly ask:
“What does Scripture require?”
“What desire is coming from the flesh?”
“What response would honor Christ?”
“How is the Holy Ghost using the Word to correct me?”
One Spirit-led decision may appear small.
Repeated Spirit-led decisions form a fruitful pattern.
Do Not Wait for a Special Feeling
Walking in the Spirit does not require a dramatic sensation before every act of obedience.
You may not feel unusually spiritual when you need to:
speak kindly;
refuse lust;
forgive;
tell the truth;
or control your temper.
God has already revealed many of His commands.
The Holy Ghost works through Scripture to lead believers into obedience.
Do not postpone a clear responsibility while waiting for a feeling.
Set the Mind Upon the Things of the Spirit
Paul writes:
“For they that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh;
but they that are after the Spirit
the things of the Spirit.”
— Romans 8:5, KJV
What repeatedly occupies the mind affects the direction of life.
A person cannot feed constantly upon:
lust;
resentment;
envy;
worldly ambition;
and corrupt entertainment
while expecting strong spiritual fruit.
The mind must receive truth.
Read Scripture.
Meditate upon what is pure.
Remember Christ.
Fill the heart with material the Holy Ghost can use to correct and strengthen you.
Crucify the Flesh
Paul writes:
“And they that are Christ’s
have crucified the flesh
with the affections and lusts.”
— Galatians 5:24, KJV
Crucifying the flesh is not a gentle adjustment.
The believer must treat sinful desires as enemies of fellowship with God.
This may require:
ending access;
changing routines;
leaving an environment;
confessing to a trustworthy believer;
or refusing something the flesh strongly desires.
You cannot continually protect the works of the flesh and expect the fruit of the Spirit to flourish.
The Flesh Must Not Be Managed as a Friend
Some believers attempt to keep sin within controlled limits.
They say:
“I will look only briefly.”
“I will allow myself to remain bitter, but I will not speak about it.”
“I will enjoy the fantasy without acting.”
“I will keep this influence because I believe I can handle it.”
The flesh does not become safe because it is given boundaries.
It must be denied and brought beneath the cross.
Do not water the weeds while praying for a fruitful garden.
Sow to the Spirit
Paul writes:
“For he that soweth to his flesh
shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that soweth to the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
— Galatians 6:8, KJV
Every repeated choice is a kind of sowing.
You sow to the flesh when you repeatedly feed:
lust;
anger;
pride;
selfishness;
envy;
or laziness.
You sow to the Spirit when you receive God’s Word, pray, obey, serve, worship, and choose what strengthens holiness.
Harvest is not separated from sowing.
Ask what your daily habits are planting.
Do Not Grow Weary in Sowing
The next verse says:
“And let us not be weary in well doing:
for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not.”
— Galatians 6:9, KJV
Fruit develops through continued faithfulness.
You may not see dramatic change after one week.
Continue sowing.
Continue resisting the flesh.
Continue practicing obedience.
Continue returning quickly after failure.
Gradual growth is still growth.
Do Not Grieve the Holy Ghost
Paul writes:
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed
unto the day of redemption.”
— Ephesians 4:30, KJV
The surrounding verses address conduct such as:
lying;
corrupt speech;
bitterness;
wrath;
anger;
and malice.
The Holy Ghost is not merely an impersonal force.
He can be grieved by the conduct of believers.
A person should not pray for spiritual fruit while defending behavior that grieves the Spirit.
Do Not Quench the Spirit
Scripture also says:
“Quench not the Spirit.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:19, KJV
To quench is to suppress or extinguish.
Believers can resist the Spirit’s work by:
ignoring Scripture;
refusing correction;
delaying obedience;
or repeatedly returning to known sin.
The Holy Ghost remains sovereign.
Yet Scripture places real responsibility upon believers not to resist His sanctifying work.
Receive the Word With Obedience
The Spirit of God does not produce fruit apart from the truth He inspired.
Scripture reveals:
what love is;
what righteousness requires;
what sin must be rejected;
and what Christlike character looks like.
A person who wants spiritual fruit must receive the Word as authority.
Do not ask the Holy Ghost to make you peaceful while refusing His command to forgive.
Do not ask for self-control while preserving access to temptation.
Do not ask for love while refusing to seek another person’s good.
Prayer and obedience belong together.
Repent When Contrary Fruit Appears
When anger, envy, impurity, pride, or selfishness appears, do not merely say:
“I need more fruit.”
Name the sin.
Confess it.
Ask what opened the door.
Make restitution where necessary.
Establish a safeguard.
Then return to walking in the Spirit.
Repentance removes the defense of the flesh and brings the believer back beneath truth.
The Fruit of Love
Love seeks another person’s true good according to God’s truth.
It is more than affection or approval.
Love may:
serve;
forgive;
sacrifice;
warn;
correct;
or establish a necessary boundary.
Love is not permission for sin.
It does not require calling evil good.
Lesson 84 will examine how love and truth remain together.
The overview here is simple:
Where the Holy Ghost is producing fruit, selfishness should gradually lose control.
The Fruit of Joy
Joy is a deep gladness rooted in God, salvation, and hope.
It is not constant cheerfulness or denial of grief.
A believer may be sorrowful and still possess joy in Christ.
Spiritual joy does not depend entirely upon favorable circumstances.
It remembers that:
Christ is risen;
sins are forgiven;
God remains faithful;
and eternal life is secure in Him.
Joy is not pretending pain is pleasant.
It is refusing to let pain become the whole truth.
The Fruit of Peace
Peace begins with reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ.
It also appears as increasing inward stability and a desire to live peaceably with others.
Peace does not mean avoiding every difficult conversation.
It does not mean compromising truth to prevent disagreement.
The Spirit’s peace enables a believer to respond without being ruled by panic, hostility, or constant turmoil.
Peace seeks what is right without feeding unnecessary conflict.
The Fruit of Longsuffering
Longsuffering bears patiently with delay, difficulty, and provocation.
It does not mean remaining indefinitely within abuse or danger.
It means refusing quick anger, revenge, and impatient abandonment.
Longsuffering gives people time to:
learn;
repent;
and grow.
Lesson 85 will address patience and longsuffering more fully.
For now, ask:
“Do I remain under control when people or circumstances test me?”
The Fruit of Gentleness
Gentleness includes kindness and gracious treatment of others.
It is visible in:
tone;
listening;
helpfulness;
and consideration.
Gentleness is not weakness.
A gentle person may speak firmly.
He may correct error.
He may establish a boundary.
But he does not enjoy humiliating people or making them feel small.
The Holy Ghost softens unnecessary harshness.
The Fruit of Goodness
Goodness includes moral uprightness and an active desire to do what is beneficial and right.
It is not merely avoiding obvious evil.
Goodness acts.
It helps.
It gives.
It protects.
It tells the truth.
It uses opportunities for righteous purposes.
Paul writes:
“For the fruit of the Spirit
is in all goodness
and righteousness and truth.”
— Ephesians 5:9, KJV
True goodness never separates kindness from righteousness and truth.
The Fruit of Faith
The KJV uses the word:
“faith.”
This includes continuing trust in God and a dependable faithfulness produced in the believer’s life.
A fruitful believer increasingly becomes someone whose word can be trusted.
He keeps commitments.
He remains loyal to truth.
He does not abandon obedience whenever circumstances become difficult.
Faith looks upward toward God and becomes visible outwardly through faithfulness.
The Fruit of Meekness
Meekness is not timidity.
It is strength brought beneath God’s control.
A meek person does not need to dominate every room, defend every personal preference, or retaliate against every insult.
He remains teachable.
He can receive correction.
He can speak truth without pride.
Lesson 83 will focus upon humility, which is closely related but not identical.
Meekness shows that power and conviction have been surrendered to God.
The Fruit of Temperance
Temperance means self-control.
It governs:
appetites;
emotions;
speech;
sexual desires;
spending;
and reactions.
Self-control does not mean the believer saves himself through willpower.
The Holy Ghost supplies power to refuse what the flesh demands.
The believer must then exercise that grace through real choices.
Lesson 86 will examine self-control in depth.
Fruit Must Appear in Relationships
Spiritual fruit is not tested only during private prayer.
It becomes visible at:
home;
church;
work;
school;
and online.
Ask:
“How do I respond to people who inconvenience me?”
“How do I speak when frustrated?”
“Do those closest to me experience gentleness and love?”
“Am I patient only with people who can benefit me?”
A person may appear spiritual before strangers while treating family members carelessly.
Fruit should reach the nearest relationships.
Fruit Must Appear in the Hidden Life
Public reputation can be managed.
Private life is harder to disguise.
The fruit of the Spirit should influence:
internet use;
private thoughts;
financial choices;
sexual conduct;
and behavior when no one is watching.
A person cannot cultivate public gentleness while privately feeding lust and hatred without eventually damaging his character.
The same heart produces both public and private conduct.
Fruit Is Not Perfection
A growing believer may still fail.
The presence of fruit does not mean the complete absence of struggle.
The question is whether the life is increasingly marked by:
repentance;
obedience;
and Christlike character.
When the believer fails, does he defend the flesh?
Or does he confess, correct, and return to walking in the Spirit?
Fruitfulness includes a growing responsiveness to God.
Fruit Should Become More Mature
Early fruit may be small.
Over time it should develop.
A believer who has followed Christ for years should not be content with the same uncontrolled anger, envy, impurity, or selfishness he defended at the beginning.
Growth may not be equal in every area.
But the overall direction should be toward maturity.
Grace should not become an excuse for perpetual immaturity.
Do Not Evaluate Fruit Only by One Good Day
One patient response does not prove complete maturity.
One angry response does not necessarily erase all growth.
Look at the pattern.
Over several months:
Are you responding differently?
Are failures confessed more quickly?
Are your relationships becoming healthier?
Is the flesh losing ground?
Are people close to you seeing greater love, peace, faithfulness, and self-control?
Fruit is measured through continuing life.
Do Not Examine Everyone Except Yourself
It is easy to identify the works of the flesh in other people.
The lesson becomes unfruitful when the reader thinks only about:
a spouse;
a church leader;
a relative;
or another believer.
Ask:
“What is growing in me?”
“What do my words reveal?”
“What happens when I am corrected?”
“What do I repeatedly sow?”
Let Scripture examine your own life first.
Do Not Produce Fruit for Human Praise
A person may act patient, generous, or gentle because others are watching.
That may protect a reputation without transforming the heart.
The Spirit’s fruit grows before God.
It remains when applause is absent.
It seeks God’s glory rather than personal admiration.
Paul prayed that believers would be:
“filled with the fruits of righteousness,
which are by Jesus Christ,
unto the glory and praise of God.”
— Philippians 1:11, KJV
The fruit comes through Jesus Christ.
The glory returns to God.
Spiritual Fruit Makes Service More Useful
Gifts without fruit can injure people.
Knowledge without love can become proud.
Authority without meekness can become controlling.
Boldness without gentleness can become cruel.
Generosity without faithfulness can become performance.
The more influence God gives a believer, the more necessary spiritual fruit becomes.
Fruit protects both the servant and the people being served.
Spiritual Fruit Includes Good Works
Fruit is inward character, but it does not remain invisible.
Paul prayed that believers would walk worthy of the Lord:
“being fruitful in every good work,
and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
— Colossians 1:10, KJV
Good character produces good action.
Love serves.
Goodness gives.
Faithfulness completes responsibilities.
Self-control refuses harmful conduct.
Fruit eventually becomes visible through what the believer does.
Diligence Has a Place
Because the fruit comes from the Spirit, believers may wrongly conclude that effort is unnecessary.
Peter instructs believers to give diligence in adding Christian qualities to their faith.
Divine power and human responsibility are not enemies.
We cannot create spiritual life.
We can:
pray;
study;
obey;
practice;
remove temptation;
receive correction;
and remain accountable.
The Holy Ghost supplies life and power.
The believer responds with deliberate obedience.
A Biblical Fruit-Bearing Pattern
1. Remain in Jesus Christ
Fruit begins through dependence upon the true Vine.
2. Walk in the Spirit
Take daily steps of obedience under Scripture.
3. Crucify the Flesh
Refuse to protect desires and habits that oppose God.
4. Sow to the Spirit
Fill life with truth, prayer, worship, fellowship, service, and obedience.
5. Receive Correction
Allow Scripture and mature believers to expose unfruitful patterns.
6. Repent Quickly
Confess sinful responses rather than defending them.
7. Practice Fruit in Relationships
Apply truth with difficult people, not only in comfortable situations.
8. Accept Gradual Growth
Continue faithfully without expecting instant perfection.
9. Examine the Pattern
Look for developing Christlike character throughout private and public life.
10. Give God the Glory
Recognize that righteous fruit comes through Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost.
A Spiritual-Fruit Examination
The work of the flesh appearing most often in my life is:
The situations that expose it are:
The fruit quality most needed in those situations is:
The Scripture that addresses my response is:
The access, habit, or influence I need to remove is:
The Spirit-directed action I need to practice is:
The person from whom I need correction or accountability is:
The evidence of growth I will look for is:
Discipleship Questions
- Why is the fruit of the Spirit different from natural personality, outward politeness, or spiritual gifts?
- How can believers be responsible to cultivate spiritual fruit when the Holy Ghost is its true source?
- Why must the works of the flesh be crucified rather than merely managed within acceptable limits?
- In what ways do relationships and pressure reveal whether spiritual fruit is actually developing?
- Which fruit quality is most needed in the area where your flesh presently reacts most strongly?
Closing Exhortation
Bear the fruit of the Spirit.
Do not decorate the outward life while neglecting the heart.
Do not confuse gifts with character.
Do not confuse personality with holiness.
Do not ask for fruit while continually feeding the flesh.
Remain in Jesus Christ.
Walk in the Spirit.
Receive the Word.
Crucify sinful desires.
Sow what strengthens spiritual life.
Repent when contrary fruit appears.
Practice love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance in ordinary relationships.
Do not demand instant maturity.
Do not accept permanent fruitlessness.
Let the Holy Ghost form Christlike character within you.
And when righteous fruit appears, give all glory and praise to God.
A Prayer for the Fruit of the Spirit
Father,
Thank You for giving the Holy Ghost to those who belong to Jesus Christ.
I confess that I cannot produce true spiritual fruit through outward appearance or human willpower alone.
Search my heart.
Expose every work of the flesh that I have excused, protected, or attempted to manage instead of crucify.
Show me where anger, envy, impurity, pride, selfishness, division, or lack of control is hindering Your work.
Help me remain in Jesus Christ.
Give me hunger for Scripture, faithfulness in prayer, humility under correction, and courage to obey.
Teach me to sow to the Spirit rather than continually feeding the flesh.
Forgive me for grieving or quenching the Holy Ghost through delayed obedience and defended sin.
Produce love where I am selfish.
Joy where I am controlled by circumstances.
Peace where I create or feed turmoil.
Longsuffering where I become impatient.
Gentleness where I am unnecessarily harsh.
Goodness where I have remained passive.
Faith where I am unstable or unreliable.
Meekness where pride demands control.
Temperance where appetite and emotion attempt to rule me.
Let this fruit appear at home, at church, at work, online, and in the hidden places of my life.
Keep me from performing character for human praise.
Fill me with fruits of righteousness through Jesus Christ unto Your glory and praise.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Next Step
Choose one recurring situation in which the works of the flesh become visible.
Then complete these statements:
When This Happens
My Flesh Usually Responds With
The Fruit of the Spirit Would Respond With
God’s Word Says
I Must Stop Sowing
I Must Begin Sowing
My Next Spirit-Directed Response Will Be
Tell one mature believer what you are working to change.
Remove one influence that strengthens the flesh.
Practice one deliberate act consistent with the fruit of the Spirit the next time the situation occurs.
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