Community of @steemchurch the Fruit of the Spirit does not come from something natural that is in us, but from the new life that the Holy Spirit produces in us and through his constant presence in us.
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control, the law is not against these things." (Galatians 5, 22-23)
When the branch of the vine "carries" the bunch of grapes, the Christian "bears" these characters produced by the Spirit; the fruit is seen as the direct result of the life of Christ in the Christian (John 15: 1-8).
The "fruit" of the Spirit is not written in plural (fruits) as are the "works" of the flesh. This shows us a unique fruit; The most representative image of this fruit is the "bunch of grapes", a single fruit composed of several grains, each evoked quality will be only part of this set.
The word fruit is associated with the organ of the plant that succeeds the flower and protects the seed; sweet foods produced by a tree; and in the figurative sense, it is the result, profit, purpose, meaning that he is reaping the fruit of his work.
In the biblical account of creation a fruit, as a carrier of seeds and as food, has two objectives:
- Transmit life and disseminate it: "God says: Let the earth produce [...] fruit trees that bear fruit according to their species and have their seed in them." (Gen 1.11) The fruit protects the seeds and then he scatters them.
In a figurative sense, these seeds of life, thus sown throughout the earth, evoke the result of the work of the Spirit: first produces where you see that you are in shape (blows "where you want") a conviction of sin that leads to accept the salvation in Jesus Christ (John 16: 8). The Spirit can then transmit the power of eternal life (John 3.5: 6.63).
- Maintain, strengthen life. Adam once heard the voice of God: "You can eat the fruit of all the trees in the garden" (Gen 2.16) and, since then, man has been eating all the delicious fruits that turn off and provide energy. Of all these fruits without which we would lack vitamin C, an essential food for our health. Not only do fruits maintain the life of man, but they also provide a renewed pleasure for its immense taste. Variety in flavor, consistency, color, size, etc.
In the same way, the life of the inner man must be renewed: "If we live by the Spirit, we also walk according to the Spirit". (Gal 5,25)
The expression "the fruit of the Spirit" is related to the figurative meaning of the word fruit (result, benefit, purpose).
The action of the Spirit in the believer, therefore, has for "purpose" the nine characters listed in Galatians 5.22: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, BENEVOLENCE, FIDELITY, GENTILEZA, AND SELF-CONTROL.
The fruit of the Spirit is different from the gifts of the Spirit, which are given to different Christians sometimes chosen by God (1 Corinthians 12: 7-11).
But these characters do not "wear out" automatically. As for the tree, the conditions are necessary for the Lord to tell his disciples: "He who abides in me and in whom I die bears much fruit" (John 15.5).
The fragility of some fruits can also evoke the fragility of our relationship with God. "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit" (Paul Eph 4.30). "Do not extinguish the Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 5.19)
A fruit needs time to mature. Tiny at first, it develops, grows slowly and matures gradually thanks to the nutrients brought by the sap and the energy of the sun's rays.
In the same way, the term "fruit" evokes a progressive action of God in us. God makes us walk step by step, progress after progress. "The way of the righteous is like the shining light, whose brightness increases until the middle of the day." (Pr 4.18)
The fruit of the Spirit can give the impression that it has reached maturity. When the test arrives, when we are in a hurry, we know whether the fruit of the Spirit is really ripe or not.
When we see beautiful fruits in a tree or in a market stall, we are attracted to them. It was the experience of Solomon: "What attracts a man is his kindness." (Pr 19.22, Darby) The fruit of the Spirit that we can carry will not only do us good, but it will also be beneficial for our loved ones.
Jesus evokes him: "It is I who has chosen you, I gave you the mission to go, to bear fruit, fruit that is sustainable." (John 15.16, Sower) The good fruit brought today has consequences for eternity!
That is why we take care of the fruit of our spirit.