Are You Bearing Fruit?

You can learn quite a bit by planting a garden or caring for fruit-bearing trees. One of those things you can learn quickly is how little control you have when it comes to making things grow. Sure, you can help the process in a variety of ways, but in the end, and you green-thumbed people know this best, there is really nothing we can do to make fruit appear. The appearance and growth of fruit—and the conditions that support it—are controlled not by our willpower but by the patterns woven into creation by God Himself.
The Apostle Paul, writing to Christians in Galatia, urges them—and us—to “walk by the Spirit,” that is, to allow the Spirit of God to lead us in thoughts, in attitudes, in what we say and of course in what we do. Significantly, Paul refers to these right thoughts, attitudes, words and deeds as “fruit of the Spirit.” The idea is not hard to catch: Paul is saying that if the Holy Spirit is present in a person, then the Spirit in that person will produce right thoughts, attitudes, words and deeds. And just like in the created world, this is not a matter of our willpower, but it is a process that proceeds from God Himself. He has chosen to live in you, and since He is there, He will produce certain characteristics in you. Paul spells out what those characteristics are—so let’s look at each one in a little more detail.
The first fruit listed is love. Love that proceeds from the Spirit of God finds its highest expression in self-sacrifice. “Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” Jesus said, and He also lived it. Not to be confused with infatuation or lust, Godly love is a willing commitment to put the needs of others ahead of your own. Are you bearing the fruit of love?
Paul also mentions the fruit of joy. This is not simply happiness, but truly enjoyment of God and His gifts. Joy is being amazed at what God has done for you in Jesus Christ. For that reason, joy is not dependent on favorable circumstances. Joy is what the Christian still has, no matter what, even in the worst of circumstances: membership in God’s family! Are you bearing the fruit of joy?
The next fruit of the Spirit named is peace. While we’d settle for a definition of peace such as “the absence of conflict” or maybe just “quietness,” peace rooted in the Holy Spirit means that a lasting truce has been called between you and God. The great big debt incurred and compounded by your sin has been paid off by the agony and death of Jesus on the cross. There is now no doubt about your identity: you are a baptized, adopted, forgiven child of God, and when you know who you are, there is wholeness. Are you bearing the fruit of peace?
Paul says that patience is also a fruit of the Spirit—but I’m afraid it’s fruit that nobody really wants. We live in a world in which “instant” almost isn’t even fast enough for us. And yet those walking in step with the Spirit will have patience. Maybe it would help us to think of patience not so much in terms of “waiting,” and instead think of it as “accepting God’s timing as the right timing,” and trusting that he knows the best “when.” Are you bearing the fruit of patience?
Kindness is next, and while it seems like simple fruit, it also seems to be sorely lacking nearly everywhere you go. Interestingly, kindness is not just a state of being. I’ve never heard anyone being urged to “have kindness.” No! We are urged to be kind! Kindness is being mindful that how we speak and the way we act matters—a lot. Kindness could be thought of as grace in action. Are you bearing the fruit of kindness?
Goodness is another fruit of the Spirit, and let’s not confuse “goodness” with “being nice.” In case you haven’t noticed, it’s not easy to be good and to do good. The opposite of good is evil, and being good will sometimes mean you have to confront evil and call it out, and that takes courage only God can provide. Have you taken a stand for good lately? Are you bearing the fruit of goodness?
The Apostle Paul says that faithfulness is fruit produced by the Spirit, and it is a special and beautiful fruit. Faithfulness is not merely possessing faith, but it is the ongoing pattern of being true to that faith. Faithfulness means orienting your entire life around the Lord and His Word and His wishes. Are you bearing the fruit of faithfulness?
The fruit of gentleness might be the most underrated quality on this list. Men, in particular, might hear “gentleness” and think “that sounds wimpy and weak.” But Spirit-grown gentleness is actually strength under control. Some of you have met our dog, Theo, a one hundred and two pound Newfoundland. He could knock just about anyone off their feet if he wanted to. But he knows not to, and he doesn’t. That’s gentleness, and that’s not a bad way to deal with people, either. Are you bearing the fruit of gentleness?
Finally, there’s self-control. The Spirit grows in us the ability to say no to things that are bad for us and yes to things that are good and Godly. The fruit of self-control makes it hard for the Christian to use the excuse, “I just couldn’t help it.” Self-control means you can always say no to the devil’s lies. Furthermore, you can say yes to meeting God in His Word, yes to His presence in your life and in worship, yes to anything that is going to make that bond stronger. Are you bearing the fruit of self-control?
I love what Paul says next. After making this list of Spirit-borne fruit, he says, “against such things there is no law.” There are plenty of laws against sinfulness, but you cannot be too loving. There is no restriction against being too joyful, or too filled with peace, or too patient. There is no penalty for being too kind, too faithful, too gentle, too self-controlled. God will only be pleased to produce this fruit in you and let you use it.Now, an unfortunate by-product of this “fruit list” is that it does point out what we are not. At the end of each fruit, the question was asked, “Are you bearing it?” And you may have honestly answered, “no,” or “I don’t know,” or “not as much as I should.” If that’s the case—and it’s the case for me—you are urged to confess this before God and admit where you fall short. Do so knowing that even now your sins are forgiven, removed, and cancelled by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The punishment that brings you peace was placed on Him. By His wounds you are healed. And then simply ask the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in you and for you to be aware of it. You may not realize all that the Holy Spirit is already doing in you. You may be bearing this fruit unconsciously. That’s how it is supposed to happen. After all, our tomatoes and apples don’t grow by our own willpower. Neither does the fruit of the Spirit appear in us by our own determination. It is His work in you that makes it happen. Just ask Him—provide Him withthe fertile soil of your heart—and let Him grow miraculous fruit in you.