[263 words]
In Galatians 5:22-23 the apostle Paul wrote, “Now the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Using the analogy of fruit, Paul here describes the sweet qualities that the Holy Spirit will produce in the lives of faithful Christians.
But how does the Holy Spirit produce His fruit in our lives? Some in the denominational world, called Calvinists, falsely teach that He imposes His grace on folks and produces these qualities in their lives whether they want them or not. But this would clearly be contrary to the loving nature of God. We might ask ourselves how fruit grows in the natural world? Is it not the result of planting seed and then carefully cultivating it with water, sunlight, and fertilizer? Do we not also spend much time weeding our gardens and keeping insects and other pests away?
It is no different with the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Spiritually speaking, the seed planted in our hearts is the word of God (Luke 8:11; 1 Peter 1:23). The Holy Spirit gave us the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:20-21; John 14:26). Thus, these qualities produced in our lives are rightly attributed to the Holy Spirit. When we study and obey the word of God, the fruit of the Spirit grows in our hearts from this spiritual seed. As we cultivate this fruit through continual obedience, we become more fruitful in God’s service. Is the Holy Spirit producing His fruit in your life?
Travis L. Quertermous
Dexter Church of Christ
Dexter, MO