In addition to the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Bible also tells us that there are 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit.
As you will see in the Scripture verse I will give you in this article – there is one very special incredible verse that will tell you that God the Father wants to transmit and impart 9 specific fruits of the Holy Spirit up into our personalities.
God wants all of us to enter into a true sanctification process with Him so that He can begin the process of molding, shaping, and transforming us into the express image of His Son Jesus Christ. He wants to make us into a better and more holy people. He wants to transform us by the renewing of our minds. He wants to put right thinking into our thought process.
In the “Sanctification,” I gave you the specific verses from Scripture that showed you that it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that this sanctification process is done with you in this life. However, you will not be a passive robot in all of this. You have to be willing to work in cooperation with the Holy Spirit once He begins to start this sanctification process within you.
Your job will be to get into the Word to find out exactly what it is God is going to want to change about you. You will need to find out exactly what godly qualities God will want you to try and “put on” into your personality, and what qualities He will want you to try and “put away.”
This article will be the first of a series of articles giving you all of the appropriate Scripture verses showing you exactly which qualities and attributes God will want to get worked into your personality, and which qualities He will want to pull out of you. And there is no better place to start this series of articles than with the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit.
If you want to start off by keying on some of the more positive, godly qualities that God would really like to get worked into your personality – really study and meditate on these 9 specific qualities.
When God the Father purposely isolates and spells out 9 specific qualities that will be coming direct from His Holy Spirit – then He is really letting you know the extreme importance of these 9 specific fruits.
These 9 fruits are major fruits and qualities that are coming direct from God Himself – and every Christian should do the best they can to work with the Holy Spirit in getting all 9 of these fruits worked into their personality.
I will first start off by highlighting each of these 9 specific fruits so that you can have all 9 of them isolated right at the top of this article. I will then give you the Scripture verse where these 9 fruits are coming from, and then do a brief commentary on each one of these fruits so you can fully understand what each one of these fruits are all about, and how they can dramatically change the quality of your life and state of well-being if you are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to start to work all nine of these fruits into your personality.
Here are the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit listed one right after the other in a numbered format:
Now here is the specific verse from Scripture where these 9 fruits are being given to us by the Lord:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)
Before I get into the appropriate commentary on each of these nine fruits, note the following:
- The word “Spirit” is with a capital “S” – which means these 9 fruits are coming directly from the Holy Spirit, not from ourselves.
- What this means is that God’s love, God’s peace, God’s joy, and God’s goodness can start to be transmitted up into our personality. These are His divine attributes and personality qualities that will start to move into the core of our personality.
- Think about the ramifications of this – that God the Father Himself is allowing us to share in a part of His divine nature by allowing His Holy Spirit to transmit and impart these nine divine qualities right up into our soul and personality!
This is why God the Father is specifically telling us in this verse that these 9 fruits are coming directly from His Holy Spirit – so that we can all fully appreciate the magnitude of such an experience.
Jesus has already told us that He is the vine and we are the branches. The branches draw their life from the vine, not vice versa. Just as the branch draws its life from the vine, so too must we draw our life directly from Jesus. Jesus will release His divine life directly into us through the Holy Spirit in the exact same way that the vine will release the life of the tree into the branches.
In one short, but incredible powerful Scripture verse, God the Father is giving all of us an incredible revelation on what can go on behind the scenes in the spiritual realm for those who are willing to work with Him in this sanctification process.
Now I will go on to describe what each one of these nine fruits are all about and give you definitions from some of the different Bible Dictionaries and Commentaries, thereby making it easier for you to work with the Holy Spirit once He starts to move in on you to try and impart some of these divine qualities and attributes into the core of your personality.
Love – Fruit of the Spirit Bible Verse
If I had to rank all of the above fruit of the Spirit in their order of possible importance, the quality of love would have to be #1. And this is why it may have been listed as the first fruit in the above Scripture verse.
Due to the extreme importance of just this one quality, I am going to do another article on this quality and title it “The Power of Love.”
This article will also be listed in the Sanctification Section of our site.
There are some very powerful and profound verses from the Bible on just this one quality alone, and it needs to have its own article to do it proper justice.
Here are some of the different definitions on what love is from the different Bible Dictionaries and Commentaries:
- Unselfish, benevolent concern for another; brotherly concern; the object of brotherly concern or affection
- The self-denying, self-sacrificing, Christ-like love which is the foundation of all other graces
- Unselfish, loyal and benevolent concern for the well being of another
- The high esteem which God has for His human children and the high regard which they, in turn, should have for Him and other people
- To love, to have affection for someone; to like; to be a friend; the love of brothers for each other
One of the main messages that comes through loud and clear from studying our Bible is the extreme importance that God the Father is placing on that everyone learn how to love Him, love ourselves, love one another, and to even go as far as to be able to love our enemies and those who will try and hurt us.
However, our abilities as fallen humans to love one another is very limited.
This is why it is so important for each and every Christian to work very closely with the Holy Spirit to get this fruit worked up into the core of our personalities.
It is only when the love of the Holy Spirit starts to flow and enter into our personalities can we even begin to love God, love ourselves, and love one another to the degree and to the intensity that God would really like to see from each one of us.
To those of you who will be entering into this sanctification process with the Lord – this quality should be listed as the #1 quality you should really attempt to put on into the core of your soul and personality.
The Holy Spirit will be moving on you very early and very quickly to get this quality imparted into your mind, soul, and emotions due to the extreme importance of it in your walk with the Lord.
You can be the greatest man of God and have some of the greatest gifts of God flowing through you – but if you are not walking with all of this in the spirit of love and humility, it will have all been for naught.
Joy – Fruit of the Spirit Bible Verse
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)
In the rough and tough world we live in with all of the crime, disorder, and bad things that can happen to anyone of us at anytime, many Christians have lost a lot of their joy in the Lord as a result of some of the beatings they have taken in this life.
I remember I had a bank teller tell me one time that she very seldom sees people smiling anymore when they come into the bank.
She says no one seems to be happy anymore and everyone seems to be carrying around the weight of the world on their shoulders.
Again, with the imperfections of our own fallen nature, and then you combine that with how people react differently to adversity – some Christians have literally had most, if not all of their joy in the Lord, knocked right out of them.
This is why the above verse from Galatians is so powerful and so needed by every single Christian today.
In this verse, God is telling us that He can transmit some of His godly and divine qualities right up into the middle of us like filling up a new car with its first tank of gasoline.
Many of God’s people need a fresh infusion of His divine qualities due to the leaks that have occurred as a result of some of the beatings His people have taken during the course of their lives.
And the quality of joy is a much needed quality in this day and age. No matter how bad of a beating you may have taken in this life – God can still fully heal, deliver, and restore you if you are willing to work with Him in this healing process.
And one of the things that God can fully restore in you is your joy in Him. And not only can the Lord fully restore what joy you used to have in Him, but He can also increase it to a much greater degree and intensity due to the wording in the above verse – with the quality of joy being one of the 9 specific fruits of His Holy Spirit!
Here are some of the different definitions of what real joy is all about:
- Great delight; gladness of heart
- The happy state that results from knowing and serving God
- That deep, abiding, inner rejoicing in the Lord
- To rejoice, to be glad
- Happy, joyful, cheerful, rejoicing, festive
Realize that God can transmit this divine quality right up into your personality – and this will be His joy, not your joy, once it starts to flow up into you.
And once God starts to release His joy into your system, you won’t be able to help but feel it. And once you are able to start feeling it again, it will become much easier for you to learn how to walk back in it in your own daily walk with the Lord.
The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is your strength. This is why it is so important that every Christian have some level of God’s joy operating through them in this life.
Without God’s joy operating in your life, things can begin to dry up. Nothing is ever fun anymore. Everything can start to become a chore. Before you know it, you will want to start to withdraw from others and life in general.
The joy of the Lord can really give you an incredible surge of strength in your own daily walk with God – especially when you have to take on some really tough situations.
This is why each Christian should work very closely with the Holy Spirit in not only getting Him to release His joy into their system, but to also keep it running through them on a very regular and consistent basis.
The Holy Spirit will do this for you if you are open to receiving this divine infusion from Him and are willing to work with Him to keep it properly flowing through you on a regular basis.
Peace From The Fruit Of The Spirit Bible Verse
This is another major quality that we all need operating in our lives, especially with all of the uncertainty of this life and never knowing what is going to happen next.
Jobs are no longer as secure as they used to be. You never know when the company you work for may be bought out and your job will be gone in a flash.
Half of all marriages are still ending up in divorce. We are all forced to constantly live under the threat of future terrorist activity, never knowing when or where the next attack will come from.
With all of this kind of heightened activity that we are all forced to deal with on a daily basis, it becomes very easy to lose your sense of peace, especially your peace in the Lord.
Again, this is one of the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit can really help you pick up the slack if you start losing your own sense of peace over some of the storm clouds that could come against you in this life.
I have found that once His peace starts to flow up into your mind, soul, and emotions, it really is as the Bible says – a peace that surpasses all human understanding – especially when that peace comes in right in the middle of a severe storm cloud that you may be going through.
Here is how the quality of peace is described in some of the different Bible Dictionaries and Commentaries:
- The presence and experience of right relationships
- The tranquility of soul
- Sense of well-being and fulfillment that comes from God and is dependent on His presence
- The inner tranquility and poise of the Christian whose trust is in God through Christ
- Tranquility, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord
The quality of peace should be one of the main qualities that you should try and get worked up into your soul through the Holy Spirit in the sanctification process. Without the peace of God operating in your life, you could become very easily rattled, shaken, tormented, and knocked right off your game in the Lord the first time any kind of adversity should ever come your way.
Longsuffering – Fruit of the Spirit Bible Verse
One of the main definitions of the word longsuffering is that it is referring to patience. And patience is another sorely needed quality in the fast paced world in which we live in today.
Just watch people standing in line at the grocery store or at your local fast food restaurant and watch how short some people’s fuses are today.
Road rage is still a major problem on some of our highways. Look at someone the wrong way and they will want to try and take your head off.
Many people have been killed or seriously injured because someone lost his temper over something that was very trivial.
With the fast-paced ways of our society, many people have had their fuses shortened up and it thus takes very little to set them off. As a result, many people have very little patience operating in their personalities today.
For Christians, this poses a major dilemma. One of the ways of our God is that He is a very patient and longsuffering God. His ways are not our ways.
And one of the things you will find out very early on about His ways is that He works on a much slower time frame than we do. And unless you learn to adjust to His slower way of working things out, you will find yourself easily losing your patience with Him and how He wants to work things out in your life.
God operates on a much longer and slower time frame than we are used to operating in the fast paced world in which we live in.
You will really have to work with the Holy Spirit on this particular quality to get it properly worked up into your personality.
The reason for this is that your own impatience will start to act up and try to override the patience and longsuffering that the Holy Spirit will try and transmit to you. At times, it may become of battle of wills – your will against His will.
But once the Holy Spirit starts to try and manifest this quality up into your personality, then you have to try and move with it and allow it to get worked into your mind and emotions. If you do, then His patience will start to override your impatience, and before you know it, your fuses will start to lengthen and you will not lose your patience like you used to do.
Here are the different definitions for the word longsuffering:
- Forbearance, patience
- Patient endurance and steadfastness under provocation
- Forbearance under ill-will, with no thought of retaliation
- Patience, endurance, steadfastness and forbearance
- Forbearance under suffering and endurance in the face of adversity
- Ability to endure persecution and ill-treatment
With the way all of these definitions are reading, you can really see why we all need the patience and longsuffering of the Holy Spirit to start operating in our souls and personalities – especially when we are forced to face any kind of adversity. Sometimes it will be the patience and longsuffering of the Holy Spirit that will be the only thing that will give you the ability to last the entire length of a bad trial.
Kindness- Fruit of the Spirit
As a result of more people being impatient, having short fuses, and with everyone always being in a hurry – many people have lost the ability to treat others with kindness and respect.
A kind word, a kind action to another person can really do wonders for them.
When you really study the life of Jesus in the New Testament, you can really tell how kind He always was with other people in His dealings with them.
Jesus is without question, the ultimate role model for all of us of someone who was fully walking and operating in all 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The quality of kindness will go hand in hand with the quality of love. Once the Holy Spirit starts to transmit His love up into you, the quality of kindness will follow right along with it. It will then become much easier for you to be able to be kind to others once the love of God starts to flow more into your personality.
You cannot help but be more kind to others if God’s love is flowing through you. This is why the quality of love has to be the main quality that you really concentrate on getting more of from the Holy Spirit. Once the love of God starts to flow and operate through you to touch others, many of the other fruits of the Holy Spirit will then start to follow right after it in domino fashion.
Here are some of the different definitions of what real kindness is all about:
- Quality or state of being kind
- The steadfast love that maintains relationships through gracious aid in times of need
- Goodness of heart, serviceable, good, gracious, pleasant
- Love for mankind, hospitality, acts of kindness, readiness to help, human friendship, benevolence, taking thought of others
- Goodness in action, sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, affability
- The ability to act for the welfare of those taxing your patience
As you can see from some of these different definitions, this is a very beautiful quality to have transmitted up into your soul and personality by the Holy Spirit. Not only will you be able to touch others with this godly quality, but you will also be able to touch yourself – because you will feel so much better about yourself if you can learn how to treat others with much more kindness and respect in your daily dealings and affairs with them.
Goodness – Fruit of the Spirit Bible Verse
The Bible says that it is the goodness of God that will lead sinners to repentance and salvation.
The quality of goodness is another real powerful quality to have operating through you.
This particular quality has a real drawing power to it. Not only does the goodness of God draw people direct to Him, but this fruit of goodness operating in a believer can also draw people direct to God through the actual believer.
Spirit-filled saints who are walking with many of these fruits operating through them are like a magnet.
Many people who have been saved through an individual believer say that what drew them in was the love and goodness they saw shining through that believer.
Jesus says that we are to carry His light and let that light shine before men and not attempt to hide it.
Part of His light are these 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit shining through an anointed believer. Nonbelievers are really drawn to someone who has some degree of these nine fruits manifesting through their personalities.
However, there is something extra special about the quality of goodness. Many Christians can effectively witness to others by just living right and being a good example and role model for others to follow.
Many nonbelievers carefully watch and study some Christians because they know there is something really different about them.
One of the key qualities a nonbeliever will pick up on in a solid Christian is this quality of goodness. This quality has an ability to really get down deep into the core of a believer’s personality.
To those who really have this quality, you can tell that it is something operating deep down inside of them.
This quality is not something that waivers like some of the other qualities can do. These people are good down to their very cores of their personalities. You can see it and feel it when you get around these types of people.
As a result of seeing this God-like goodness deeply ingrained into their personalities, there is an immediate drawing towards them. You feel totally safe being around them because you know you can totally trust them, and you know they would never deliberately hurt you.
Children are quick to sense and pick up on this quality in people who really have it. These types of Christians draw children and adults to them like magnets.
This is why this particular fruit and quality is so important for each Christian to have. Because with it, you can easily draw many more people to the Lord.
If the goodness of God will lead people to repentance and salvation with Him – then the goodness of God operating through an anointed believer will have the ability to draw nonbelievers into salvation.
And the goodness of God can be transmitted and worked up into your personality through the power of the Holy Spirit.
You can have the actual goodness of God shining through you to reach others if you are willing to work with the Holy Spirit in this sanctification process.
Now here are some of the different definitions of what this quality is all about:
- Beneficence, ready to do good, love in action
- Kindness in actual manifestation, virtue equipped for action, a bountiful propensity both to will and to do what is good, intrinsic goodness producing a generosity and a Godlike state or being
- The word beneficence means the fact or quality of being kind or doing good
This particular quality is a very powerful fruit to have operating in your personality because of the drawing power it has in it.
And the beautiful part about this fruit is that this quality is so pure in its goodness – it does not have any manipulative qualities within it.
In other words, a truly good person could not even begin to try and use you or manipulate you for their own personal gain because they are too good and righteous to even begin to think along those lines.
This is why these kinds of people are so trustworthy and why so many people are drawn to them – because you feel so safe by just being around them.
Faithfulness – Fruit of the Spirit Bible Verse
In the times we live in with half of all marriages still ending up in divorce, and with many people getting back-stabbed in the workplaces with people they thought they could initially trust – this particular quality is one that is really needed in our day and age.
This quality is not only needed in our own personal relationship with God, but it is also needed in our own personal relationships with our friends and our families.
Once you are saved and have entered into a true personal relationship with the Lord – one of the first things you will really have to grab a hold of is holding fast to the Lord and staying faithful to Him for the rest of your eternal life.
Once you are saved and have entered into a true personal relationship with the Lord, there is no turning back – ever!
This is what got the Jewish people in major trouble with God the Father back in the Old Testament. They could not stay faithful and loyal to Him on a consistent and regular basis.
There were times that God the Father was literally calling them harlots and adulterers because they would not stay faithful to Him, especially when they kept chasing after other gods.
God the Father really holds this particular quality in high esteem, and this is one quality that He will really expect you to operate very strongly in – not only in your own personal relationship with Him, but also in your other personal relationships with your family and friends.
In other words, He wants you to be faithful and loyal to your spouses, to your children, to your parents, and to your good friends.
Too many people are bailing out from their spouses and their children if they hit a few minor speed bumps in their marriages.
Too many spouses are having affairs behind their spouse’s back, thereby destroying all of the trust and faithfulness that may have been built up in the early years of their marriages.
Too many fathers are bailing out of their marriages, and then forgetting and forsaking their own children – and sometimes for good, never wanting to see any of them ever again!
If God brings you a wonderful mate, wonderful children, and good and wonderful friends – then He will expect you to stay loyal and faithful to all of them in your own personal relationships with them. A true friend will stay by your side for life – through thick and thin and for better or for worse.
Just as God will stay faithful to you in His own personal relationship with you – He will expect you to stay loyal and faithful in your own personal relationships with the other people in your life.
Now here are what some of the different Bible Dictionaries and Commentaries have to say about this particular quality:
- Fidelity which makes one true to his promise and faithful to his task
- Steadfast, dedicated, dependable and worthy of trust
- Steadfast, unchanging and thoroughly grounded in relation to the other
- Dependability, loyalty and stability
With the self-centered and materialistic world in which we now live in, where many people’s only goals and ambitions are to get as much as they can out of this life while they still can – I am afraid this is one quality that is in very short supply.
Most people are lucky if they manage to make 2 or 3 good, loyal, and faithful friends in this lifetime.
This is one quality that God the Father is really watching all of us on. He is watching who is going to stay true, loyal, and faithful to Him – and who will stay true, loyal, and faithful to the friends and family that are brought into our lives.
The flesh is strong – especially in the area of wanting to satisfy its lust for the material things of this life. This is why this quality is one of the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit.
We all need the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit worked into us to help us keep loyal to God, family, and friends.
Gentleness- Fruit of the Spirit
Many men may draw back a bit from this next fruit, which is the quality of gentleness. However, Jesus was fully incarnated into a human flesh body – but this incarnation was done as a man – fully Man and fully God.
Since Jesus walked our earth as a man – the Son of Man – study His actions very carefully when you read the gospels and how He handled different types of people.
There were times that He would engage and set people straight, like He did with some of the Scribes and Pharisees. But there were other times that He dealt with people very gently, with kindness and love.
His gentle way of handling some of these people is what really jumps out at you when you really study how He handled different types of people.
Again, Jesus is the perfect role model for all of us to study and learn from – especially with how He handled people while He was walking down here on our earth. For men in particular, His actions and behavior towards others should be a major study for all of us and we should seek to pattern our own daily walk after Him.
And one of the divine qualities that He had operating in Him with great abundance was the quality of gentleness.
The quality of gentleness is another major quality needed in our world today. So many people have been beat up and hurt in their dealings with other people – that just a gentle word, a gentle touch from another Christian can really open up the door for that person to be able to receive Jesus and His healing, saving, and deliverance power into their lives.
Once you really start walking in the Holy Spirit with His divine fruits operating and flowing through you – you will really be able to feel and sense when you should handle a certain person or a certain type of situation with more of a touch of gentleness rather than with any kind of stern rebuke or condemnation.
There is a time for tough love – but there are also times that just a gentle and loving touch is all that is really needed to properly handle a certain situation.
The Holy Spirit will guide you in all of this. Just realize that the quality of gentleness is one of the 9 fruits of the Spirit, and this is one of the fruits that He would really like to get worked into your personality, especially in being able to use it when dealing with and helping out others.
Parents especially need this fruit operating through them, as it is very easy to get out of balance with the way you are correcting your children. Sometimes more of a tough love approach is needed, but at other times more of a gentle approach will be better suited for the situation.
If all your children ever hear from you are stern words of rebuke and criticism, and it is never properly balanced out with words and actions of love, kindness, and gentleness – then after a certain period of time your children will start to pull away from you, and they then will have no more desire to want to establish any type of good, solid, loving relationship with you.
Now here are some of the different definitions on the quality of gentleness:
- Mildness combined with tenderness
- Gracious, kindly disposition, controlled strength
- A disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious and that has passions under control
- A character that is equitable, reasonable, forbearing, moderate, fair and considerate
- Power and strength under control
- Willing to pardon injuries, correct faults. One who rules his spirit well
Not only will other people love and gravitate towards you more if you learn how to walk in this quality – but you will be at much more peace with yourself since you won’t always have to be fighting and striving with others when trying to help them out.
Self Control – Fruit of the Spirit Bible Verse
Last, but not certainly least, is the quality of self-control. This one is huge, and I mean huge!
Once you start to enter into a true sanctification process with the Lord – expect the Holy Spirit to move on you very early with this specific quality.
The reason for this is that we all have a certain amount of character flaws operating in our personalities. There are some bad and negative qualities that will have to go.
The Bible tells us that our spirits and our flesh will war against each other in this life. Our flesh wants immediate self-gratification at all costs and will stop at nothing to try and get it.
Our spirits know that some of our fleshly desires are not right for us and as a result, there will be a tug of war between the two – and sometimes it will be a major tug of war. And the only thing that will be able to control and curb some of the desires of our flesh is the quality of self-control.
Since we all live in a very self-centered and materialistic type world today, many people have very poor impulse control. If they see something they immediately want, they will do anything they can to try and get it. They will not be denied until they get what they are going after. These people are obviously very weak in the quality of self-control.
This is why the Bible tells us that if we can learn how to really walk in the Holy Spirit, then we will not fulfill the lusts of our flesh.
Due to our fallen and sinful natures, all of us are weak to some degree in the quality of self-control. This is why God the Father made sure to have this fruit listed as one of the 9 fruits of His Holy Spirit.
We all need God’s self-control operating in our lives and in our personalities if we are going to have any hope in getting cleaned up and properly sanctified to the degree that He would like to get us to in this life.
If you do not have God’s self-control operating through you – you will have very little victory over such things as bad tempers, judgmental and critical spirits, an unforgiving spirit, and vices such as smoking and the abuse of alcohol.
Once the Holy Spirit starts this sanctification process within you – be prepared for some major battles and tugs of wars with Him once He starts coming after some of the negative qualities operating in your personality.
But if you are willing to yield to Him and allow Him to start to work all 9 of these fruits into your personality – then you will find yourself starting to grow in ways and in areas that you never thought were possible in this life.
His supernatural power in this area will blow you away once you see how far He can really take you to become the person that God would like you to become in Him in this lifetime.
Here are some of the definitions of what the quality of self-control is all about:
- Temperance, rational restraint of natural impulses.
- Sober, temperate, calm and dispassionate approach to life, having mastered personal desires and passions.
- Calls for a self-disciplined life following Christ’s example of being in the world but not of the world.
- Restraint or discipline exercised over one’s behavior.
The above definitions perfectly describe what God is looking for once He starts to work and transmit this quality up into our personalities. This specific quality is one of the major keys in being able to get any kind of victory over some of the lusts and desires of our flesh.
Conclusion
All of the above definitions on each one of the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit give you a perfect description of what each one of them are all about, and why God the Father really wants to work each one of these 9 fruits into our personalities.
As you can see when reviewing each one of them, they are all very powerful – and they not only have the ability to help change, transform, and sanctify you – but they also have the ability to touch all of those around you.
Nothing will draw nonbelievers and believers alike to the Lord than a truly sanctified saint in the Lord who is walking and operating in all 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit.
If you are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to work and transmit all 9 of these fruits up into your personality to some appreciable degree in this life – you will then become a light that will literally radiate the presence of God Himself through your soul and personality.
You have no idea how many people you will be able to save, touch, witness to, and help disciple if you have these fruits operating through you. These fruits will give you a credibility with God and with other people that no degree or title can give you in this life.
This sanctification process is the ultimate, highest aim and goal with God for our lives.
For those of you who are not afraid to let God begin this deeper sanctifying work in your life – keep these 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit directly in front of you.
And then work very closely with the Holy Spirit once He starts to manifest these fruits up into your personality.
These fruits will be coming directly from Him. They will be His love, His goodness, His joy, and His peace that will start to flow into you. But you will still have to do your part in all of this. Once these divine attributes start to be released into your personality by the Holy Spirit – your job will then be to start to walk and operate in them.
If the Holy Spirit starts to release His quality of love into your personality, but you start refusing to walk and operate in that love in your words and actions to others – then He will start to pull it back from you after a reasonable length of time.
If He starts to manifest His quality of self-control in you in an effort to try and take out some of the negative qualities that He will not want operating in your personality, and you refuse to rely on that self-control, and you override it and continue to operate in those negative qualities – then again, He will pull it back from you until you are ready to work in cooperation with Him.
This sanctification process is a two way street.
God is more than willing and anxious to do His part – but you will have to be willing to do your part. And your part will be to learn what changes God will want to make with you – and then start to live, walk, and operate in those specific changes once the Holy Spirit starts this supernatural, sanctification process within you.
This part God cannot do for you.
Jesus gave Peter the power and ability to be able to walk on water. But there was one thing Peter had to do before that supernatural power was released to him. He had to get out of the boat and start walking straight forward on that power.
It was only when he got out of the boat and started walking straight forward did the supernatural power of God manifest that allowed him to literally walk on water!
It’s the exact same way in this sanctification realm with the Lord. God, through the Holy Spirit, will give you the supernatural power to change, transform, and sanctify you – but you will have to be like Peter and be willing to live and walk in that supernatural power before it can really start to work to change and sanctify you.
Jesus is coming back for a Bride that will be without spot or blemish. He is calling His Church to clean up their act and allow His Holy Spirit to begin this deeper sanctifying work in their lives. However, the choice is up to each individual believer. Sanctification is not something that can be forced upon anyone. God really respects everyone’s free will and He will never force His will or His ways on anyone.
To those of you who will decide to enter into this sanctification process with the Lord – realize that all of this will not occur overnight. The Holy Spirit will set the pace and timetable that He will want to work with you on. You can perfectly trust Him to handle each of the areas that He will want to get into.
Though some of this may be a bit painful at times, since none of us likes to admit that we have anything that needs to be changed, let the Holy Spirit take you as far as He will want to go with you in this realm – and I guarantee you that your life and your state of well-being will all be changed for the better – much better!
Hey, thank you for this amazing article, God bless you in what you are doing! I enjoyed reading it and was praying for God to help me with these nine fruits from the Holy Spirit. Continue in what your doing! 🙂 God BLESS!
Am glad and appreciates for the good article, it has really touched my heart God bless you for the good work you are doing.
thank you.
Thank you for this wonderfully divine message of grace. I have been receiving the 9 fruits for a few years now, and am transformed 🙂 I am, perhaps, almost, Sanctified? 😀 Can it be true? Many lovely blessings to you and all who open to this powerful truth. Thank you.
i thank God for allowing me to see this wonderful message this morning as im in class right now i was asking God to bless me with the 9 fruits of the Spirit and i decided to look it up God bless you !!
I really thank God for the lives of those people that wrote this article, D Lord will continue to bless and empower u all and on d last day u will not be found wanting. I must confess that am really blessed cos i hav been wanting to read, understand and have the gifts of THE HOLY SPIRIT and this is just an avenue to know GOD the more and understand wat is expected of us as believers. Please as u are writing the articles dont forget to pray for everyone reading it that d Lord will empower us and give us the grace to walk with HIM. Thanks and God bless.
I really thank God for this article. When I asked the Holy Spirit for his guidance, wisdom and answers in the good times as well during the tough times, He always seems to lead me in the right direction.This morning when I cried out to him in prayer, He gave me a sense of peace and somehow I was lead to this article. This article was excellent! and gave a deep explanation of the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit like I have never heard it before. Thank You to whoever is responsible for this article. It is truly a blessing from God! I know God has a plan for my life and I am excited to become a blessing to others! God Bless you all!
I just gave my 18 year old daughter, Hannah, a “5 day challenge” of BEING KIND. Her friend, Alex, was in the room when I gave Hannah this challenge and Alex said that she wanted to take the challenge as well.
I am giving them an index card with some scriptures as an encouragement and reminder of this challenge. On this card, I printed out Eph. 4:32 (“… be ye kind one to another ….”) on one side, and on the flip side I wrote the fruits of the spirit. (Gal. 5:22). As I was looking up the reference for the fruits of the Spirit, I ran across your wonderful article. I am going to print it out and have them read it over the next 5 days. Thank you so much. It is a VERY powerful article. I believe it is God’s timing and provision that I ran across this article. God bless (whoever is the author) for being obedient in writing this article that is touching so many lives.
Hello. I have been dealing with a lot of lust/passion issues. And after praying, and asking, and downright demanding that Jesus break me He did lastnight! I had always wondered or felt resentful when I heard people witnessing or talking about how “Jesus changed my life.” I could NEVER understand that and it made so little sense to me. I would rack my brain asking over and over, “How can Jesus change us when we have to choose to change?!” Well I will tell you the secret! It’s not that Jesus lives your life for you, but if you can be diligent and constantly talk with Him and even annoy Him to break you and change you then it WILL happen! When he changes your life, you suddenly become aware of EVERYTHING. Old things that were your usual forte instantly click in your head and say “this is what chained you down!” In the middle of Him breaking you down you have this heightened understanding of how things are operating beyond this “normal” life. The Holy Spirit crushed into me, and the closest thing I can tell you what it’s like is that you can’t control your body, to some extent…I could hardly get words out, and I couldn’t control if I cried or not. I don’t know if this happens everytime, but I started asking Jesus to break me daily, because I know my vices are very strong. So when I was researching on more ways to have the Holy Spirit put self control in me, I came across this article. I had read about the 9 fruits before. I imagine the Holy Spirit will work on what He thinks is best first. All I know is that after that encounter I was having a 2 hour conversation with Jesus. I would literally TRY to sin and get these bad images in my head, and I could not do it! So it IS possible to have the Holy Spirit block ANYTHING out of your life! I believe that the more we speak with Him and shout out our needs and desires (when it comes to growing in the spirit of course) the higher the chances of Him responding. Maybe this is not true, because I do know that He operates on His time, but it cannot possibly hurt to talk with God as much as possible. I don’t even care if people think Im crazy when I’m talking to thin air, lol. I wouldn’t do it on purpose, but the more we can start seeing Jesus/God as a manifested person or force that is all around us the better off we will be! Lastnight was my first night sleeping after this encounter and I had no temptations to indulge in the sin, so that’s what Im definitely aiming for! Thanks for reading and Godbless everyone. Merry Christmas!
This is so amazing, am also praying to God for His encounter, I am at it already..thanks for shearing your experience with great teacher in person of Holy Spirit.
I was preparing for sunday school and the topic is on “fruit of the sprit.”
This article was the first one i clicked on and it really gave me all the ideas that i needed. Thank you, may the good lord continue to give u knowledge and understanding of his WORDS.
Excuse me, but there are times we should never exhibit “forebearance.” Refuse to tolerate abusive spouses, coworkers, family members, friends, elected officials or other acquaintances. We should not tolerate anything being done to us that is not kind, gentle, patient, loving, etc.
Stand up and protest. Don’t be meek and just “take it.” If becoming “santified” means letting others take control of or abuse me or my children – forget it.
jesus took all kinds of insults and injury. look at me i am meek and a lowly servant. He gives us patience to be able to endure. The greatest among you shall be your servant
Amen to Mike’s testimony! God is Able! And will deliver those in need. Thank you Jesus!
I enjoyed most of the article, however, I wish the section on gentleness was more gentle. The comment on “liberals” could be construed as “Christian tough love”, but I couldn’t get past the animosity I felt coming from how it was presented. No where in the fruits do I see this tendency for “us and them” that makes Christians seem downright unloving. I think your point could have been made without accusing a particular group of people. Blessings on your ministry.
I was simply pointing out the fact that some liberals are trying to make God gender neutral. I wanted to point out for men that Jesus was fully Man when He came down to our earth and that we need to pattern our walk after how He lived and acted while He was down here. Nothing more, nothing less.
Mike
thank you for your post, I thought I was a christian for a lot of years, and had heard of the fruit of the spirit often, never truly understood it until after reading your posts. Things have been real tough for us for the past 3 years, always having to fight the tough fight, my faith has been challenged so often, I have always been able to hang on in there. today after reading my bible and had some confusion googled the question which eventually led me to your post on Fruits of the spirit, my eyes have been open, life starts to make more sense today. I pray that santification commences in my life and things become easier for me this year
this is different set of the 9 fruits… Depends on the version of bible…(from KJV)
1. love
2. joy
3. peace
4. longsuffering
5. gentleness
6. goodness
7. faith
8. meekness
9. temperance
God Bless.
I appriciate the article very much. I believe I need to work hard to bear the fruits of the Spirits. I am going to use this article to teach and help others to grow into the likeness of Christ. Thank you and God bless.
@Milita Das, Hi have only just come across this article this morning after crying out to God , because I wasn’t working on anything, or it’s seems because recently I lost my Dog to cancer just 2 weeks ago. 2 years ago me and my husband lost our parents, so yes through these trails I lost the joy of the Lord and was really struggling but as soon as I cried out to him in prayer he was there and I came across this article and through this article God has spoken to me through his holy spirit.
I too need to work harder on to bear the 9 fruits of the Holy spirit and I think what you have decided to do to do help others is amazing and really encouraging and I thank God for this article and the person that wrote it and then put it on the Internet for others to read and share with others, isn’t the Lord amazing and his ways are definitely not our ways and God’s understanding is definitely not our understanding, God bless you my friend
Thank You for the very well presented most important necessities for the Christian heart. You are a wonderful extension of God’s Love! I have been a believer all my live, fighting the lukewarm existence all the way. It seems that every church I have ever attended is a blessing to mankind and they are wonderful. It does though puzzle me as to why when through His entire ministry on earth Jesus sought to win the hearts via his demonstration of healing that he taught to his disciples on purpose as to show us his way. I think that if the church was to go that one step further to boldly demonstrate the miracle healing Jesus gave us with the laying of hands Jesus powered healing, that we would be boldly displaying our faith like the father intended. Some churches are routinely performing his miracles and do so by the power of receiving the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit that they claim anoints them by his grace the success they have with their practice. One that I have witnessed is The Grace Cathedral, OHIO. Your thoughts and teaching of the laying of hands Jesus style would be greatly appreciated please as we all are capable of ministering this faithful gift and should be performing as often as God wills. God Bless You and All your efforts. Thank You Larry Davis
Thanks for the time and effort put into this article. I have been trying to communicate that knowing someone by “their fruit” is not about their food (dietary) patterns, but something much deeper. Blessings to you!
CORRECTION: There are not 9 fruits of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 says, But the “Fruit” (singular) of the Spirit is LOVE. There is ONE FRUIT; EIGHT CHARACTERS: Joy, Peace, Long suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance.
These 8 characters are inside of the fruit to cause you to produce. To be in better form or condition; to bring into existence again; favorable conditions; born again spiritually. All of this is in HIS WORD which is THE SEED or CHARACTER. The kingdom of God is supposed to be producing.
AGAPE!
Also, one of the comments is absolutely correct. Each character has its own definition:
1. Joy = Gladness or The Regeneration of Man
2. Peace = Serenity
3. Long Suffering/Patience = Blessings
4. Gentleness = Kindness
5. Goodness = Benevolence
6. Faith – Characteristic of Love
7. Meekness = Humility
8. Temperance = Self Control
Thanks alot for the insights concerning the fruit of the Spirit.
I realize that santification comes as a manifestation of the fruit.The hard thing about is the application more so because one must be ready to be hurt.
The good about it is that once it becomes applicable the result is felt and the advantage outweighs the pain.
Love peace and joy manifests the life of one who is filled in the Holy Spirit,goodness kindness patience to a person who is led by the Spirit,self control gentleness and faithfulness to a Spirit controlled person.
Perhaps the article inspires the readers to ask for the filling of the Spirit and the rest will follow.
Be blessed for all this and more.
SIMON W KARIUKI
Thank you for your article. Your definition of each virtue is fantastic. One thing though I would like to call your attention to: It does not say “the Fruits of the Spirit are….”, in plural But “the fruit of the Spirit is…” , in singular. I think is one fruit with nine different ingredients, not nine fruits. I would think that love is joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-conrol. You cannot have one virtue without having the others. As Love is the fulfillment of the Law, love contains everything (Romans 13:8-10). Thank you very much, may God keep on blessing your wonderful ministry. Juan Carlos
I really appreciate the article. One thing that I have learned is that I don’t need to be perfect while I’m on this journey. God has shown me that I need to continue to practice the fruits of the spirit each day. God bless and thank you for the encouragement.
God Bless!
Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful explanation! You presented each in a way that I think anybody can understand. I am writing a bible study with the theme Fruits of the Spirit and your column was very helpful with my research. I desire more than anything to walk in the way God has called me so that I can draw others to Him. I look forward to reading more of your publications. God bless you and the wonderful work you are doing.
Thanks so much for your divine insight into the fruits of the Spirit. The article was so convicting and truly bear witness to the Spirit of Truth in me. Knowledge is power and in this case makes a better person to be used for God’s glory and the good of the Body of Christ. may God continue to bless you and use you to inspire, encourage educate people on the things that are important to God. You are making a difference!
This article is wonderful, but I just want to add that there is only one fruit which contains 8 seeds. Every fruits has seed or seeds, so therefore Love is the fruit that housed the 8 seeds.
I must confess that am really blessed and I am ever so thankful for this article and this website. it really helps me and encourages me to learn more about myself and who I really am. It is such an honor to be close to God. Being closer to God is something I will never have to regret, because He had been so good to us. Where wold we be without God? 🙂
This is great simple yet very deep .Fruits of spirit coming directly from Holy spirit .That is why every christian must be baptized in holy spirit ,which would get him or her all the 9 fruits….thank you so very much for the insight…blessings
If we can receive the all these fruits of the Spirit, it will be almost impossible for us to sin. I am blessed.
I love ur message and i will like to get closer to you people.i will also love to have one of your book but i found out that my country is not among the country that was listed there. i am from Nigeria
This is a wonderful article and God will continue to bless your source of knowledge and wisdom. Please be using more Bible references in order to have more in depth teaching bible based.
Thanks and God bless you.
David
blessed to have people who can teach the word of God in net, i love these God bless. u’ve blessed ma heart.
Wow, This really helped me see where I am lacking with God! I am so thankful for this article! It really has inspired me to do better and seek a more personal relationship with our father! Thank you for the encouraging words! GOD IS SO GOOD ALWAYS!!! =)
When I gave my life to Jesus Christ, it was a great joy hoping that these visible attributes of a christian will automatically manifest in me because alot of the “Word” I heard was based on preaching than teaching the foundational principles to a new convent.Thank God for servants like you who studied and impacted us with the prudent insight of what it takes to be a christian.You are doing a great work for the kingdom. May God continue to find you a vessel unto honor. Thank you.
I thank God for the wonderful “Fruit” bowl that I just recieved. For those persons commenting on the word fruit being in single form; please read that scripture again. God will approve your study and understanding. GOD BLESS the writer and all the readers.
God bless you for a good work well done, am writing a book on the need to be prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and one of the question i asked in the book was “ARE YOU MANIFESTING ALL THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT?” the reason i asked the question was that in my community here in Nigeria Christians desire the gifts of the Spirit because it make them famous but we neglect the fruit of the Spirit that will guarantee us a place in the kingdom of God.
I am an overseer (leader) for Redeemed Outreach for Woman in Phoenix, AZ. Currently there are 32 women and 4 children residing in our home. One of the things that I try to teach them is to live a Christ like life. I try doing this by teaching them the word. Each week I assign them homework to do. It’s usually a chapter from the bible that they summarize and then apply to their lives. This week however, due to some things that have occurred over the past week or so, I decided to give them homework on the fruits of the spirit, hoping that this will help them to get a long better with each other, as well as others in their lives. I searched on line for something that would help me in teaching them this, and ran into this site. It was very helpful to me and informative to me. This was what I was looking for. Thank you.
Very enlighten. People need to read, learn and apply it for everyday lives. sucess comes and starting to learn and doing it today, tomorrow and forever the world will achieve the greatest gift of God if all people will accept the LORD AND SAVIOUR ABOVE ALMIGHTY GOD. God bless us.
great.i love the three lords.
This teaching on the Fruit of the Spirit is a great blessing to me.It has come at a time i have been struggling with self-control. God bless you so much.Steve, Nairobi, Kenya.
This is a good and well developed way to present the fruits of the spirit. I was thinking of teaching this to the kids I teach in sabbath school and I thank you ever so much for this information. God bless.
-Tre’
Wanted to thank you on the full explinations that I have read and am studing. Alot is being revealed to me as I read each one of the Fruits. Praise God that all the information needed is in His Book. This has opened my eyes more to see what I need to do. My mind needs to rest so that His Spirit may work on me. God Bless You
While doing my bible readings today I really felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to get intentional about really studying and applying the Fruits of the Spirit in my life. I came Googled Gifts of the Spirit and came upon this sight. Very good information. I printed it and will study it daily asking God the areas I need to change in my life.. Thank you for this information. Its really great stuff…
Very informative and uplifting. Really help me to see where I am in my Christian maturity and how I should continue to choose to grow deeper in the Lord. Thankx again
Thank you! This was so helpful for my bible study class on the Holy Spirit. Cannot thank you enough. God bless you for this website.
thank you for the fruit it is really good it help me out a lot especially faithfulness witch I have to speak on again thank you
Thank you so much Man of God. God has used you in a mighty way to simplify this and make it practical. May God continue to bless u.
Man of God I have been so blessed by your detailed explanation of the fruit of the spirit . I will share this with my three daughters.
I was just thinking about what type of person I really am.
The Bible, and the Fruits of the Spirit came to mind.
I thought about works without fruit are empty, and that I need to
constantly remind myself “Am I producing fruit?”. “What is the evidence
of this Fruit?”
I found myself challenged to not only remember what real “Fruit” is, but to
continue to apply it to my life as I grow as a Christian.
I may not be there yet, but, with God’s Grace, I’m aware.
Hi Scott,
When a
tree produces fruit it is because that is what is already in the seed that became that tree. So you see it is not just the tree producing the fruit, it is the seed as it is not us producing the fruit but what is within by salvation – God. When the Holy Spirit of God produces fruit in us, the “the branches” of the One True Vine, Jesus it is because that is what the Father, God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus are – they are one in all ways, they are love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, meekness (strength under control) and self-discipline. So Scott when you received Jesus you received the “fruit” that is why it is called being born again – we die to self (the old nature, the flesh) and are reborn, become alive in Christ Jesus. That is a daily renewal of death to the old self and nature, and regeneration to our life in Jesus. This is why being in the Word of God every day is how we are sanctified. His holy Word is our purification, God does it through His Word, His Light, His Way, His Truth, Jesus.
I love God, and I thank him every day , and he brings me closer buy showing me and teaching me , different ways to be as good and kind as he wishes for all of us, thank you God for another day of learning, Amen
I really appreciate finding this article on Google. I typed in fruits of the Spirit defined and this is the first article that popped up. We are doing a study beginning tomorrow and because of you I will be well equipped. Thank you again!!!!
Very good article from a Spirit filled perspective which you don’t see too much of on the internet. One thing I would like to point out is this (not meaning to be too picky), The word fruit is singular not plural which is important. The fruit of the Spirit is love and all its attributes that follow. Also, even though we do have our part to do according to Eph. 4:17-24, This fruit is not something we do, it is who we are as we walk in the Spirit. Great website. I look forward to seeing more. God bless.
Thank you Bill, you said this so well. I attempted in my reply to ‘Scott Troyer’. I really like how simply you said it here – we can never do, all that is ever done for His kingdom is done by Him, through Him , and for the glory of God. He does the works, He is the love, we are emptied out vessels. I am so glad you, Juan Carlos’ and ‘Love and Peace have written in this thread about the word “is” in this wonderful verse. I needed to be reminded of it. Galatians 5:22 became a constant loop in my mind when I was saved and filled with the spirit.
I have been asked to fill tomorrow for out “Open Arms Bible Study” group. I too googled and found this site. It has given me new perspectives that I can share and use in my walk. Thanks and peace and grace to you
God Bless
Thank you Servant of God. I am richly blessed by your detailed article on the Holy Spirit. God increase His anointing and grace in your life. God bless you
may the lord God, who live forever continue to equip you and blesses you in every area of your life. y the churches really need this
May I point out that Galatians 5:22-23 specifically states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” All due respect to the whomever the teacher is, but he/she is incorrect when referring to (9) fruits. The scripture does not say “fruits” but “FRUIT” singular. The fruit of the Holy Spirit consist of 9 elements which are in numerated in verses 22-23.
Explain something Rev. Hawthorne…would you be so kind to explain and elaborate as to how your point is different from the original teacher’s examination of Galatians 5:22-23? I just need to see how it is different. Thanks sooo much…In other words, “teach me” please??….LOL
The word ‘fruit’ itself is a singular or plural word. When I go to the ‘fruit’ stand I am not going to a road side stand that only has one fruit. Or should we start calling them ‘fruits’ stands? Somebody in the past taught that there was only one fruit and many have bought and taught it for years now. The idea that this passage is trying to convey is that when the Holy Spirit indwells a believer they will show forth a ‘fruitful’ life. Thus love, joy, peace, etc. will be seen in their life. Yet when you think further on this, there are many more types of fruit that comes forth in ones life when the Holy Spirit is present. In other words, the Holy Spirit is not limited to only helping the believer bare these 9 kinds of fruit, there are many, many more. So when the word ‘fruit’ is used, it would be similar to using the word ‘fish’ to describe a boat load full. I caught a fish, I caught some fish. If I go to a friends house for lunch I would ask him what kind of fruit (plural) do you have. Here’s an example from the Word how fruit is used in the plural. John 15:16 – Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth ‘fruit’, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Surely the scripture here is not talking about only one kind of fruit.
Other verses to consider would be: Romans 7:4 – Ephesians 5:9 – Philippians 4:17 and Jude 1:12.
God Bless
Stumbled on this blog as part of a study on fruit. Up until recently I would have agreed that the word fruit as a plural and not a singular. However my mind was changed after listening to Timothy Keller about this passage in Galatians. Here is a link to his 30 minute message; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwxfC3VyBAY
Wonderfully encouraging message. One conclusion (and there are many), is that the spirit grows us symmetrically. It is not consistent for a believer to be showing kindness or goodness and not have a true joy or peace. I can act kindly to others out of an attitude of arrogance, thinking that I am better than them – even if I was being kind. Like the 10 commandments, spiritual truths should show us our inadequacy and drive us to a dependence on Jesus and the need for the power of God to act in us. Thinking of these as multiple fruit makes me think of a juggler trying in futility to keep everything in the air. For many years when I thought of Galatians 5 I thought of a ‘to do list’ of traits to work on in my own power. Thinking of these as interdependent and linked is helped with the picture of a single fruit with many attributes; age (ripe or green), shape (round or oblong), color, fragrant, flavor (sweet or bitter), size (large or small), weight (heavy or light), rarity (common or unusual), utility (edible or industrial). Only Jesus can manifest ALL the traits of grace in us. It has been helpful for me to think of them as part of a whole rather than focusing on each attribute and risk becoming overwhelmed or discouraged that I am somehow defective because one of the traits is not showing up the way I think it should. Or worse becoming prideful that I have one of the grace’s in abundance but blinded to why another grace is completely void in my life – thus choosing to ignore the sin in my life.
Side note – Understanding our dependence on God and the symmetry of the 9 graces helped me understand how Paul & Christ could warn that a believer could perform miracles and great works in the name of Christ and on the day of judgement be told “away from me I never knew you”.
Blessings to all
It is “The fruit of the Spirit, not 9 fruits.”
Therefore, a person, who has been anointed by the Holy Spirit, can not claim that he is full of love, but he likes to get stressed over a little thing and he can not handle his over eating habit to the point of becoming an obese. Or he can not claim that he is full of joy and peace, but he is not patient and like to get mad easily. Or he can not claim that he is kind and gentle, but he is stingy and selfish at the same time. The list continues on.
A person, who has been anointed by the Holy Spirit, will have ONE FRUIT that has nine flavors. It is either you have it ALL or NONE.
Very good points, but Scripture is clear that it’s the fruit (singular) of the Spirit. It’s not that you can have one or another, it’s a package deal. These are nine characteristics or virtues of a Christian, unlike the gifts (plural) of the Spirit, where God gives different abilities to the body or church members.
Very interesting article…thanks for everyone’s insight on the fruit or fruits of the Spirit…if you back up a few verses in Galations 5 you will see all the works of the flesh (verses 19 – 21) which are many ! It says in the end of vs. 21…they which do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Then starting in vs. 22 it tells us the fruit of the Spirit is…then follows the 9 fruits of the Spirit…I think it depends on whether we are speaking in a singular or plural sense…what matters is that we have these 9 fruits…it is also telling us what we need to have to enter into the Kingdom of God. It is simply telling us whatever we practice , whether it be the lusts of the flesh or the fruits of the Spirit , will determine where we will spend Eternity…either with God eternally or eternally seperated from God..may God help us all to understand the mystery of his Word!
Early part of this year, I was hit by mild stroke and my healing is progressing well and very slowly, but I have been desiring the 9 fruits of Holy Spirit to grow more effectively in my personality. The fruit I desired more to grow and continuing growing and mature bigger and larger is Long Suffering. This fruit is unique and the other fruits begin to grow more infinitely and effectively in my personality. Thank you very much for this article. I have fully enjoyed reading it and will share with Christians in my church. Thank you and God bless you in this ministry.
One comment: the verse talks about the ‘fruit’, singular, of the Holy Spirit, not the ‘fruits,’ multiple. It is one fruit with all nine qualities. We don’t get some of these qualities, we get them all, to the degree that we yield to the Holy Spirit.
singular and plural term for fruit is appropriate. You don’t say “look at all this fruits”
I pray to the lord to help me walk in the fruit of the spirit in by daily life and only through him and with him I’m able to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth reflecting the image of God and his son Jesus Christ and I can only do it through the Holy Spirit. I know I still have a lot to learn and grow because the Lord it’s not done with me but I’m in the processes of the Santicfication where I know that some day what God had started in me he will finish because I live by faith and not by sight and only through his Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit everything is possible. To love the unloving and to see others the way God does. To be joyful even in my trials and tribulation.to have piece when things dont go right in my live. To be patient even when it seems hard to accomplish Gods will.to be kind no mater how I’m treated. To be good to others even when I don’t fill like It. To be faithful to God and others even in the smallest things.to be gentle in what i do or say even when I feel angry or upset.and to take safe-control at all times no matter what the enemy tries to bring into my life or the tests that God brings to my life to mold me and make more like him. always remember that the fruite of the spirit is reflecting Jesus Christ in our dailly life and only then we will bring other believers closer to God and walking in the fruit of the Holy spirit in our dailly life also will be the only Bible the unbelievers will read and will come to Christ . So brothers and sisters let’s get out of our comfort zone and let’s do what we were called to do let’s walk the talk and let’s talk the walk being who God called us to be. He deserves all the honer and glory and the best for the best our Lord Jesus Christ who gave us the best His son Jesus.
I have read through all of these comments and have a droid enjoyed all of them to find one by Laura Gloria was the icing on the cake I thank you for your common sense comments and I do agree with you 100% and I hope that I personally can walk the talk and talk to bark every day of my life and bring glory to his name in doing so my name is Bob I’m an old man
Thank u so very much i never knew God in this way that i now know and learning to live by the fruit of the Spirit,bless your holy name God of Gods lord of lords and king of kings who is everlasting.Amen
Thank you. I have made a decision to change my life and i want to incorporate the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for making me realize i will be working with the Spirit’s timetable.
This has been a huge blessing to me. I think for all our brothers and sisters who are so concerned of the terminologies. It’s more important to understand that the key focus is in ensuring that we manifest these fruit than to argue on it. We have a marvelous post here which God has used his son to put up. If there is still a need to know more then I think we should have more time with the holy spirit to search more His word, He will always lead us into all truth.
It’s also important that we follow these process in our communication pattern.
Exalt, Commend and Correct (if need be).
I saw most of us who read this post but instead to blessing the name of the Lord first and the via His servant before correcting they quickly ignored all that was written. I think attitude has a lot also to do with the Fruit of the spirit which we are arguing about. More of His understanding I pray.
I thank you Sir for this great write up and I pray for more of God’s blessings as He keep transforming souls to His glory through you.
I love you all.
I was looking for the fruits to explain to my class of children how to live a Christian life. I think us adults need this refresher course as well. God bless you and work in you with this study. Knowledge is power. So is prayer.
I got the series and the last study in Joy it refers to Matthew 28:21, 23. Yet I have not seen any reference to that?
These are not just words,you must learn to put each one of these fruit into action,in everything you do and say, in Colossians;3;17- And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. In Hebrews;12;14;- Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: God has not changed,some of us has changed,and the world has changed,but as children of GOD WE MUST REMAIN FAITHFUL AND LIVE HOLY BEFOR HIM; IN 1-PETER;1;15-16-15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.ALWAYS REMEMBER I CAN DO ALL THING THRUOUGH CHRIST WHO IS MY STRENTH; GOD BLESS YOU; EARL WRIGHT
This article is a blessing, I am bless I give God the glory. May the Lord bless you and keep you
I like to use the analogy of an apple. You have one fruit and all the different aspects or parts of the apple. You have the skin or peal, then you have the meat of the apple, you have the core, the seeds and the stem. All of these parts make the apple, one fruit.
Thank you so much!!! I do want to draw closer to God ,now I’m going to live the fruits of the spirits, this has been on my heart I see so many people that is so far from the fruits of the spirits , thank you.Brenda
Praise your mighty name oh Lord. We love you Lord. Awesome help you work everything for the best of your people who are desperate to know Lord. We love and thank you Holy Spirit.
Hi. Thanks for the article. Just wondering what will happen to those believers who don’t respond to this sanctifying work when the Lord comes for His Bride who is without spot and blemish?
Does everyone has the fruit of the Spirit in them. Or only believers have to nurture it to grow
Yes. Everyone is born with the fruits in them. As one grows and has an intimate relationship with God, the Fruits become evident in ones actions, personality, and how they are seen by others. And most importantly how they are seen by God. When you become saved by Grace, these fruits flourish in you, but only if you are receptive.
Thank you so much!!This is what I having been seeking and your presentation is so simple and easy to understand. “My cup runneth over” with thanksgiving and praise to our God, who supplies our every need. My need is for more fruits to become evident in my life
so that like Paul, I can say” It is no longer me, but Christ in me”. Keep it coming! In Him,
Justine.
Thank you for such priviledge. My heart desire to walk with the almighty God.The 9 fruits of the Spirit timeline i will work with,i will give my heavenly father my undivided attention to work through me and for me. I pray that God will continues to use you and manifest his power through you.Thank you again and God bless
Excellent job explaining & allowing the Holy Spirit to work in & thru you so believers can also learn the full truth. It’s important to grow in the Lord and have the fruit of the Holy Spirit! This helps us to be used of God as well to our full potential! This was very well explained & a blessing to read! God bless
I began my Sanctification Process with you God many years ago but my Journey was in vain for I was as a Child who was at Play and did not Realize my Actions of playing in my Walk with you would Damage so many thru lack of Self control . The Consequence of my Actions have hurt many and God I Thank You Here And Now for you Making me see the Light .I will study and Count it now ALL AS JOY .
Michael I thank you for your honesty. Must of us will never reach where the Father wants to take us because we are not honest before GOD and Man. God Bless you.
I am all in with GOD.
vowomenshomelamont….i got saved in May 2, when i invited the lord in my life. I went to a Womens /recovery home,, literally i was living in the street lost bound and blinded by the wants and the lust of the world. then i called on to the Lord, got saved, went to a recovery home, graduated, and stepped up to be a Womens home Director, so has a director i had to teach the women about all these fruits, literally i was tested in every fruit, from love all the way to self-control, I thank the Lord for his keeping power and his fruits that. I had to set the example to the hurting women to teach them to love, gentle words, bieng kind, faithful to God, and to have patients, and to have self control, in order to grow in the things of the Lord. I learned to humble myself and it was no longer me but Christ who lives within me. Thank you Lord for still keeping.
Amen to that, that is truly amazing. You should be proud of yourself for your diligent heart, and praise God for your transformation. We are living testimonies; a witness of His glory glory glory! worthy is the Lamb <3
I am blessed reading through the article and a whole lot of testimonies. Thanks to the LORD ALMIGHTY GOD.
I would like to feed more on such articles as I pray to be blessed financially to be able to support the work too financially in the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Amen
Remain blessed
I am wondefully bless having reading this article! More light into my heart and being to share the Gospel to others in the name of Jesus Christ.
Having expirence the Spiritual birth it fuel my heart to standfast in the Lord with this
marvelous 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Galiathians 5:22 As we Worship and praise the Lord with these 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit
whatever belong, comes, and arise from the Pain, evil and tragedy is evacuate ”come and empty out” as we surrender to the will of God in Jesus Christ.
God bless you and inspire you more and more.
I liked this article and the explanation of Sanctification; however, there aren’t 9 fruits, there is just one. The Bible says in Galatians 5, “the fruit of the Spirit is.” Both the fact that there is no “s” at the end of the word “fruit” and the use of the verb “is” indicate that there is only one fruit. The list following the verb makes it seem as though there are nine fruits, but there really is only one.
Keeping the fruit analogy, you can pick fruits like apples and strawberries. Comparing love, kindness, etc, to fruits implies that you can pick and choose which ones you want to show in your life. However, because the fruit is of the Spirit, it’s all or nothing.
It’s one fruit and in that one fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Absolutely true, there is Only one Fruit the “Holy Spirit” with nine attributes. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, three in One is teaching us and showing us that we need these nine attributes of the Holy Spirit in our lives in order to become more Christ like; and more Spiritually mature.
Matthew 7:16-20 shows these are multiple fruits, plural. Multiple trees for each fruit.
“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?”
— Matthew 7:16 (KJV)
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” — Matthew 7:20 (KJV)
Back to singular fruit, encompassing the plural fruits is Ephesians 5:9
“(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)”
— Ephesians 5:9 (KJV)
Hi Samantha…in English it’s common to refer to several fruits as “fruit”…like if I have 5 apples, someone might say, “Oh, look at that fruit over there.” Or if I had 9 Fruits of the Spirit, someone might say, “Look at that, you have a lot of fruit!” In the same way, the fruit of the pirit is multiple but all developed through the Holy Spirit.
God is faithful even when we aren’t. Sometimes we think that we got it all under control. The truth is, we don’t because without God, we can’t. There is no one that is beyond change! The fruits of the spirit is something we need in our daily lives to fulfill God’s plan in our lives. Thank you for sharing the word! God bless You!
Every human being is made up of a spirit, a soul and a body. (1Thess 5:23) When we are born again we are new creatures. (2Cor 5:17). It is not our soul or body that is made new but our spirit. This spirit is sealed and nothing such as sin can touch it. (Eph 1:13) What is more, our new born again spirit is identical to the Spirit of Christ. God when He looks at us sees us as He sees Christ (1John4:17), “holy and pure”, “holy, without blemish and without condemnation……” (Col 1:22-24) Galatians chapter 5 is all about contrasting living in the flesh and living by the Spirit. Those who are Christ’s by definition live by the Spirit. They have the Spirit of God living in them. The fruit of the Spirit are those qualities Christ possesses. So, if we are identical to Him in the Spirit (remember 1John 4:14 quoted above), then I believe that in our born again spirit we ACTUALLY have the fruit of the Spirit already there. So, all we need to do is remind ourselves of this fact. So if we are feeling down for example we just need to remind ourselves that we have joy in our spirit. Therefore we have no reason not to be joyful. I actually believe that a truly born again spirit filled person should not be without joy. He. shouldn’t be depressed. He also shouldn’t lack patience or any of the other attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. They’re all in our spirit. These are some of the fundamental things we should then be renewing our minds to acknowledge this fact.(Romans 12:1-2; Philemon 1:6) On a personal level I have been living this way for a while now since I got this revelation. Of course
I slip up some times but it is not for long. I just remind myself of what I have in my spirit, and adjust accordingly.
Hi Victor. Fruit takes time to mature. These attributes though in us must be fully developed so that we are a reflection of the character of Christ. That’s why different believers have different traits. So, much as we are born again, we must intentionally work out, allowing the holy spirit to develop our personality or character. I must consciously work out my salvation with fear and trembling.
You are amazing. I started by personally wanting to move from the worldly knowledge and wisdom to spiritual discernment. I realize that I needed a transformation process which incidentally led me to your article on Sanctification. My delight at finding the process can be equated to the delight of a child receiving his/her favorite toy. May God bless you further with redemption, righteousness and sanctification.
Thanks for this powerful article its every word is full of meaning light and blessing.May God bless you because im willing to work with the holy spirit to change my life and I pray for everyone who is also willing to do the same and change his ways of living AMEN
God Almighty is great!
May the Holy Spirit fully sanctify me and be an obedient receiver to attain all or most of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and become a beckon of lights for those still in the dark!
Thank you. Keep doing what you are doing.
You are teaching many belivers with your gift of teaching. Do not grow weary for your work is not in vain.
This teaching truly blessed me. I know for certain this came from God, The Father. Thank you for your obedience and commitment to ministry. This work will help to deliver a lot of believers and others, bringing them closer to our Lord, and in alignment with His Holy Spirit. I am excited to share this with others, as well as continue in the process of my own sanctification.
Many prayers and blessings to you and all those your anointing is graced to reach, for the glory of The Lord.
I was blessed by this article. Praying that God will help my family and me with these nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. God bless you!
This was an excellent and apt answer to my questions about the work of Holy Spirit. Reading this article made me to understand that I need to work on various aspects on the 9 fruits to be truly sanctified instead just be complacent that Holy Spirit will work with me. Thank you for the insight
you have brought tears to my eyes, awe the awakening of God power through his brides. I am coming out of a storm believing hoping and trusting in the lord, whereas, my patience was running out to see the light under the tunnel when it was my weakness moment. now that it has arrived and reading your column just brighten my spirit with the light of God and his children. the adversary was attacking me so much and no god loving Christian because of the division in the world that attacks one another who is the right church and not knowing the right church is the wedding feast to come. I pray to be a wise bride and not a foolish one as I anticipate the rapture of God and his son and the Bride of the Holy Spirit that will reunite all heirs of the Holy Spirit children. where our true baptism of eternal life, no sin but peace for eternally. thank you for uplifting my spirit as I grow stronger in the Lord. away with the material world and come the realm of God castle. rev.22:17, The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. it gave me the revelation like the Lord of the Rings, as Jesus and the Holy Spirit brings their children home to God. for we are their heirs and equal where every knee will bow in thankfulness.
The Lord is good all the time and let his children show there true nature as they all individually have a relationship with the Lord himself. thanks to him, and the saints who follow the bride of the Holy Spirit who has been here since the beginning of time with God. the trinity, the father son and holy spirit. Let the bride say, Amen Come Lord Jesus the era of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen and Alleluia. Grace be upon you brother and sister.
The Bible referred to ONE fruit of the Holy Spirit. One fruit that has nine qualities.
Galatians 5:22-23
I enjoyed reading this amazing article. I started a girl’s group at church, and we are focusing on the fruits of the spirits. this article gave me a lot of Ideas that I can work with the girls on. I was wondering if you could share any activities that would aide in teaching the girls how to really apply the 9 fruits of the spirits to their daily life? thank you
This article was very thorough to me as to have a deeper walk with God…
Thank you very much for sharing with us.
This teaching was very impactful. I even used some your meaning of the fruit to support a message I’m sharing on this same topic. Those meanings helped me alot. Thank you and I will be sure to give you your props for my in put.
May God continue to give you revelation knowledge and the eyes of your understanding to be open the more in Jesus name. Shalom
This is breathtaking, I have studied the 9 fruits of the spirit last year.I wnt back to testify them so I can allow that Holy spirit to guide me through this journey I’m experiencing now. Marriage problems.
Halo,
Thanks for writing this article. It’s a really deep study, it was so helpful to me. To be honest I’m a little bit scared of going this road with Him, but I know it’s inevitable, and also it seems like I’m already on the road anyways, since a lot of these things actually happened already.
Once again I really want to thank you for this, God bless you abundantly dear brother!
Thurie
Thank you for the clear explaination of the nine fruits of Holy Spirits. Now i understand how to implement these qualities into my life .