Introduction
- Reading through the Gospels, one might think that Jesus was a farmer rather than a carpenter. He so often spoke of vines, branches, seeds, and fruit, using them as analogies as he brought his good news to the world.
- In John 15, Jesus describes himself as a vine with his Father as the husbandman, or vinedresser. God the Father faithfully tends to this vine, removing and discarding any branches that are not bearing fruit while carefully pruning the good branches to increase their fruit production.
- Believers in Christ are the very branches attached to the life-giving vine of Jesus! When we put our faith in Jesus and trust in his word, we enter into this very parable, becoming a branch firmly affixed to the vine and tended to by our heavenly Father so that we may bear his fruit.
- The Apostle Paul defines this fruit in his letter to the Galatians. He lists nine attributes which mark the life of believers in Christ, who through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, are being made into the image of God.
- “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and temperance…” (Galatians 5:22) These traits are perfectly demonstrated by God, and he calls his children to do the same with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Definition
- The Greek word for fruit used by the Apostle Paul in this passage is “karpos,” and while it is used to describe produce like grapes or figs, it is also used metaphorically to mean offspring or results. The offspring of a person who believes in Christ and abides in him are the fruit of the Spirit.
- The fruit of the Spirit does not appear overnight as soon as someone puts their faith in Jesus. Paul tells us in his second letter to the Corinthians that we are, “being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
- Though this fruit comes from the Spirit at work within us, we still play a part in its growth. Before he lists the fruit of the Spirit, Paul describes the works of the flesh, sins like adultery, envy, murder, idolatry, and strife. He tells us to fight these things, putting off the sins of the flesh as we walk in the Spirit.
- We grow in Christlikeness as we reject the works of the flesh. We also become more like him as we learn about him, studying the scriptures individually and corporately as a part of the church. We become more like him as we pray to God, serve others, reject sin, and abide in his word.
