Galatians 5:22-26

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. gentleness and self-control."  Galatians 5:22-23

God expects His children to be spiritual fruit bearers.  John 15:8 tells us, "This is my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."  As children of God our lives must match the professions that come from our mouths.  Our salvation is all of grace and has nothing to do with ourselves.  We are saved for a purpose, however.  That purpose is to bring glory to the Lord.

One way that we bring glory to the Lord is by exhibiting the Christ-like characteristics of the fruit of the Holy Spirit  in our lives.  Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."  Others need to see Christ living in us through the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us.  There is a song whose words state, "They will know we are Christians by our love."  We need to show the fruit of sacrificial love to others.  Others also need to know we are Christians by our joy, peace, and patience in all circumstances.

Others further need to be able to see and know we are Christians by our kindness and goodness. Kindness and goodness are closely associated with patience.  If we are patient with other people and their shortcomings, we will also display the fruit of the Spirit of goodness and kindness. Kindness is exhibited in a care and concern for others.  It involves going out of our way to treat others the way we would like to be treated.  Goodness involves a willingness to help others. Goodness also involves a willingness to avoid evil and to follow God's paths.

Next, others need to see and know we are Christians by our faithfulness and our gentleness.  A faithful person is obedient to the Lord in all things.  A faithful person remains true and obedient to the Lord even when going through difficult times in his or her life.  A faithful person can be counted on to keep the promises and commitments that he or she has made to his or her fellow human beings. The fruit of the Spirit of gentleness should also be found in the lives of the children of God. Gentleness does not entail weakness.  Gentleness is God's power in us under His control.  Gentleness involves humility.  Gentleness involves a kind, considerate, and gracious spirit towards others.

Finally, others need to see and know we are Christians by the fruit of the Spirit of self-control. Self-control involves being willing to stop oneself from acting impulsively  and selfishly.  Self-control involves being willing to stop oneself from engaging in behaviors which are not good for oneself, not good for others, or not pleasing to the Lord.

The world believes greatness is found in personal power, position, talent, and wealth.  Our God tells us that those things are not important.  What matters is that we are living for the Lord's glory and that we are exhibiting Christ-like attitudes in our lives.  May we increasingly exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives of "joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."  May others truly see Christ living in us.

Galatians 5:25 says, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."  Living Spirit directed and fruit-bearing lives involves allowing the Holy Spirit to direct and lead us in all things throughout every moment  of the day. Living Spirit directed and fruit-bearing lives involves choosing each day to start anew and fresh in the Spirit's power.  It also involves maintaining that dependence on the Holy Spirit's power throughout the day.  We as children of God still have sin present in out lives, but it should be our consuming passion to increasingly live Spirit directed and fruit-bearing lives!