Spiritual Fruit

"By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." John 15:8

I am going to attempt to do several Victory Calls on the Fruit of the Spirit. Last summer I did a seminar on this topic and we decided to call it "Juicy Fruit". That is what God desires from us, fruit that is juicy and pleasant. Not dry and wilted.

Let us start out with pronunciation; it is FRUIT, not FRUITS. A tree bears one fruit, it may bear many apples, but it is the fruit of the tree. The Holy Spirit in the same way is the source of our fruit. The apple has several parts, such as core, seeds, flesh, peel - but it is all one piece of the fruit. So it is with the fruit of the spirit - it is all one fruit, with many parts. All of the components must be present if we are allowing the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in us. For example, if you examine a cluster of grapes, each grape is same fruit yet each may differ slightly in size, shape and taste. One fully ripened, full of sweet taste - others less ripe, green, sour, shrunken and shriveled - still they are the same grape growing on a single stem.

As a way of introduction, it is important to know why we bear fruit. The verse above is clear in that our spiritual fruit first gives glory to God and second, demonstrates that we are His disciples. We shall be known by our fruit. When people see, taste or experience the fruit in our lives they are seeing, tasting and experiencing God at work.

Next, what purpose does my fruit play in God's grand scheme of things? First, it is designed so that we can be God's instruments and meet the needs of others. Fruit trees do not eat their own fruit; they bear fruit for our benefit. Our fruit is not for our benefit, but for the benefit of others. Galatians 6:10 tells us to do good to others. In Philippians 4:19 we are told that God supplies our needs - and one of the ways He does that is through our fruit.

Finally, let's look at the predators of our spiritual fruit. All fruit has predators: cold, bugs, heat, drought, fire, wind, etc... Our spiritual fruit also has predators. Galatians 5:16-17 and Romans 8:5 tell us that the flesh and our sinful desires can destroy our fruit. The next one is no surprise... Satan is looking to destroy us (1 Peter 5:18) and if he can't destroy us totally, he can render our fruit ineffective for God.

Each succeeding Victory Call on this topic will look at the different parts of the Fruit.

The first 3 relate to our relationship to God: Love, Joy, and Peace.
The next 3 relate to our relationship to others: Patience, Kindness and Goodness.
The last 3 relate to our relationship to ourselves, or what kind of people we are: Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control.

I want to end with a poem, maybe it can be your prayer for this study. Source is unknown.

We who were once wilderness can become the garden of God.

My life is a garden.
Your life is a garden.

Is it a waste, untilled and wild?
Like an untaught, untrained child?

Or is it good soil under the Master's hand?
Is my soul His own cherished land?

Is it thick with thistles and weed?
Or has it been sown with His good seed?

What is the harvest that comes from this life?
Goodness and love, or hatred and strife?

O Lord, take this stony ground of mine.
Make it all, completely Thine!

Only then can it ever yield,
The pleasant fruit of a godly field.

Lynne Jahns

Christian Counselor
Director, KESWICK Institute of Biblical Studies

DIGGING DEEPER
James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness."