The Spirit’s Fruit

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth….

Ephesians 5:9

For us to ‘walk as children of light’ is for us to evidence ‘the fruit of the Spirit.’  Paul uses three words to summarize that fruit.  He says ‘the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.’  In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit more fully when he says, ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law.’  This fruit is the direct result of the work of the Spirit in the life of everyone who is ‘in Christ.’  Just as is true of justification and adoption, sanctification is, ‘of God’s free grace.’  The first two are acts of God’s free grace, which He performs once.  The other is ongoing in the life of each person who is in Christ.  So far from producing carelessness or spiritual laziness in believers, this knowledge, that the Spirit is producing fruit in us, enables us to follow Christ with the awareness that we cannot ultimately fail.  Every encounter we have with Christ, as the Holy Spirit shows Him to us, enables us to imitate Him more thoroughly and consistently.  We then become more Christlike in our doing good.  As we do, the Holy Spirit continues to reinforce the character in us which demonstrates the fruit which He is developing. 

Our Kind and Generous God,
we rejoice in the Spiritual work which You do in us.
We praise You that the Holy Spirit will
continue to develop His fruit in us
until we become like Christ.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning