Fruit

Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Paul has been making a case that you can’t mix law and grace. That either you live by one or the other, but as for those who follow Christ, we are to live by the spirit. He describes what that looks like. The fruits of the spirit are probably one of the best measuring sticks for a believer. Not that we measure our spirituality but that we can look to God and see the way he describes us the way he would like us to act.

If we are not careful we could probably force these kinds of fruits upon ourselves. But you will notice that it is the fruit produced by the spirit in our lives. It is not something we produce, but it is the result of allowing Jesus to come alive in each of us.

God, let me live by your standards. Remove anything in my life that would prevent your spirit from producing fruit in my life.