The Spirit or the Flesh

 

Fruit is nourishing and beneficial, and it tastes good. Paul uses “fruit” to describe the wonderful things the Holy Spirit wishes to produce in us. He writes in Galatians 5:22-23 concerning this fruit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

 

In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul discusses the “works” of the flesh. In stark contrast, in Galatians 5:22-23, he declares the Holy Spirit's desire to produce “fruit” in our lives. The contrast between the flesh and the Spirit is profound. The flesh produces “works.” This is a hard life filled with destructive excesses, idleness, hatred, conflict, bitterness, and recklessness. The flesh demands to be in control. However, a life yielded to the Holy Spirit is filled with spiritual benefits and favor, producing the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Holy Spirit produces this fruit in us—not us. 

 

The word “fruit” is from the Greek word “karpos,” which describes the fruit of plants or trees or the fruit of the body, such as a person’s children or offspring (New Testament Greek Lexicon).

 

Whether the fruit of a plant or a human, all fruit is produced from some seed. Without a seed, there is no fruit. The kind of seed that is sown determines the fruit that will be produced (Genesis 1:11,12). Grapes only produce grapes, and humans only produce humans. The kind of seed determines the type of fruit.

 

When you received Jesus Christ as your Savior, God sowed the seed of His Spirit and Word into your heart. You were spiritually born again by the incorruptible seed of the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). Just like a grape seed only produces grapes, you began to produce God’s nature in you. Since the sown seed determines the kind of fruit produced, you should expect to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit. If your life is not producing the fruit of the Spirit, your flesh is in control, and you will reap from what you sow. 

 

A person who plants a grape seed doesn’t question if that seed will become a grapevine. Once that grape seed is in the ground, he can rest assured that, eventually, he will have grapes. The same principle is true in the spiritual realm. You must plant the right seed because seed always produces fruit after its own kind.

 

The fruit that the Holy Spirit produces is godly and overflowing with blessings and life. As you allow the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in you, you will discover that people enjoy your presence. Once they share in God’s fruit flowing out of your life—once they share in His love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, they will desire to experience the Holy Spirit’s wonderful fruit.

 

Since God has sown His Spirit and Word into your heart, you can expect His fruit to be produced in you. However, you make the final decision as to what is produced in your life. You choose who will rule you—the flesh or the Spirit. Don’t yield to the flesh and allow it to produce its horrible work. Instead, yield to the Spirit and allow the seed of God’s Spirit and Word to produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life. 

 

Your sinful nature has been crucified with Christ. You have God’s nature within you. You have His righteousness and holiness. You have His love, joy, and peace. You have His goodness, faith, and patience. 

 

Paul wrote in Galatians 5:16, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” If you sow to the flesh, you reap hatred, greed, dissatisfaction, bitterness, and pride. Sow to the Spirit and reap love, joy, peace, patience, and all His luscious fruit. 

 

Do you want to walk in the hard and bitter works of the flesh? Or would you rather humble yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to produce His wonderful fruit in you? 

 

Which are you going to choose—the Spirit or the flesh?

 

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