The Fruit of the Spirit

Dear Triumpher,

Have you ever seen an apple tree before? You’d expect apples as its fruit right? The same goes for any other fruit-producing tree. Anyone would expect fruits of the same nature as the tree because each tree was made to produce fruits of its kind. The same goes for the believer but what do fruits and trees have to do with the believer? 

Let’s find out!

Galatians 5:25 (NKJV) says “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” 

If we examine every reproductive system of nature we discover something constant: every creature that can reproduce gives birth to its kind. There is something in the nature of every creature that makes it produce something of its kind and this is not lost in the believer. The believer has the nature of Christ (Colossians 3:1) and because of that, we are expected to bear fruits after the nature of Christ. But these fruits don’t just jump on us, they happen as a result of our submission to God’s work in your life.

Walking in the Spirit involves letting love, kindness, humility, and goodness (The Fruit of the Spirit—Galatians 5:22-23) take the front row in our actions; conducting ourselves following our profession of faith.

As far as we are on this Earth, there will always be days when we feel like our faith is tested but we are encouraged to stand firm amidst contradictions. We are redeemed to be light in a world full of darkness; this is a responsibility we must uphold even when we find ourselves alone.

Now, we understand that we are called to be proactive in the world; extending love and light in our conduct but how should we react to offenses when they come? We are told to forgive. The nature of God, as seen in the salvation you and I share is that of unending forgiveness. If we have received God’s generosity in forgiveness, we should be able to do the same to others knowing that we have God’s Spirit and our new nature in Christ empowers us with grace to forgive no matter how difficult it seems. 

But it doesn’t just stop at forgiving. The fruit of the believer’s regenerated spirit is love. We are called to extend the love of God no matter the situation, extending grace to even those who might have wronged us. As believers, God's will is that we reflect His nature of generous love even those who might not—according to human logic— deserve it.

Dear Triumpher, the expression of the fruit of the Spirit to the people around is more than just about your interaction with people, it is also a powerful expression of devotion and gratitude for God’s generosity towards us. It shows our sincere understanding of what God has given us—His Spirit—and the magnitude of our love for Him knowing that we love others because God loved us first.

So, the next time you are faced with a situation on how to interact with other people around you, choose to express God’s generosity as He has done for you.

Rooting for you,

Tim.