But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
—Galatians 5:22-24 (NLT)
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are all part of one fruit. Aren’t these wonderful attributes to have? God’s love that flows without restriction—His joy that brings contentment—His peace that calms—His patience that perseveres—His kindness that forgives—His goodness filled with virtue —His faithfulness that believes—His gentleness that quietens—His control that gives self-control. All of these make up one fruit. And that fruit is produced by the Holy Spirit within you. When you have the fruit of His Spirit, you need no law to guide. The Holy Spirit guides you. You belong to Jesus Christ. The desires of your sinful nature are nailed to the Cross and crucified with Him.
All of these facets of the fruit that Jesus has birthed in you work together in His perfect grace. At times one aspect is more prevalent than another, but all are in your life because you received the fruit in your spirit when you were born-again by His Spirit. Your soul grows in each fruit's facet as you allow the Holy Spirit to transform your mind.
One synonym for "fruit" is "harvest." The Holy Spirit grows each facet of the fruit in you, such as love and patience and faithfulness, and then brings to harvest each one's fullness. He brings out the best He has grown in you. Another synonym for “fruit” is “bounty.” When you allow the Holy Spirit to harvest kindness, goodness, gentleness, and each facet of the fruit in your life, you bountifully receive the Holy Spirit's overflowing power.
Don’t ever say that you don’t have what Jesus died to give you. The fruit might not be fully grown and harvested in your life, but it is real because He identifies you as His own. Allow the Holy Spirit to develop within you the fullness of each facet. You flow in His love. His joy claims you. The peace of Jesus calms you. You persevere in His patience. Without any selfishness, His kindness forgives. Goodness is His virtue that you freely live. In His faithfulness, you believe and stay His course. His gentleness in you quietens any storm. His control is your self-control. You have the fullness of God, and it flows out of your life into others' lives.
“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:19-20, NLT).
Isn’t it miraculous that God can accomplish the growth of His fruit in you? He accomplishes much more than you might ask or even think. He promises that you will experience His love and power more thoroughly than you have ever known. You will know His abundant life that comes from the fruit of the Spirit flowing in you. Each day surrender to the Holy Spirit's work and allow Him to develop what He has given you.
“I thank God continually for you and I never give up praying for you; and this is my prayer. That God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the all-glorious Father, will give you spiritual wisdom and the insight to know more of him: that you may receive that inner illumination of the spirit which will make you realize how great is the hope to which he is calling you—the magnificence and splendor of the inheritance promised to Christians—and how tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God” (Ephesians 1:17-19, Phillips).
©2020 Lynn Lacher
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