The Fruit of the Spirit

What is ‘fruit’?

The biggest surprise to me when studying the fruits of the spirit this time around is what exactly the Bible defines as a fruit. I expected to feel convicted about works and standards and something I could check off on a to-do list as I had been accustomed to hear preaching on ‘fruit’ to include not only how much time you spends in prayer but also tithing, clothing, fasting, and how many individuals you are witnessing to a week! The surprise to me is that according to scripture there is actually a bit of a difference between ‘fruit’ and ‘works’. I want to really focus on that biblical definition of fruit in this post.

Fruit of the Spirit, in my own words, are traits that reveal the nature of God in the individual. It is a product of God’s Spirit dwelling in a person. If the Spirit of God dwells in you, you will produce fruit, this is an inevitable outcome. This fruit should be found in EVERY saint in OBSERVABLE quantities and that is why it was important to me to truly discover the nature and purpose of spiritual fruit for myself; the fruits of rotten sinful souls are spiritually just as distinct and important to discern.

I would liken the works of the spirit to putting down of roots in prayer, scripture reading, fastings, etc. and working in acts of service like branches reaching forth with giving, preaching, and laboring. But there are fruits that are visible apart from those works, as a separate quantifiable proof of being in Christ, much like the fruits on a tree are visible apart from branches and roots. And just as in nature, spiritual fruit reveals the nature of a tree.

Prove Yourself

For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramblebush gather they grapes.

A good man out of the treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Luke 6:44-45

We see here that fruit is external proof of internal nature. When we recognize the simplicity of what fruit is, it takes the complexity out of understanding each part.

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

-James 3:13,17

James 3:13 says we should show works and wisdom, and that wisdom includes good fruit. Matthew 7:15-20 reiterates what it says in Luke saying “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” and “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” so we see fruit as something we should not only be producing but also as a point of reference for discernment.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Matthew 7:20

What are the fruits?

The fruit of the Spirit are these:

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Long suffering
• Gentleness
• Goodness
• Faith
• Meekness
• Temperance
• Righteousness
• Truth

(See Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:9)

We can see here that these fruits are attributes and not actions. These are all also attributes of God himself. The fruits of the ‘flesh’ are opposite the Spirit and manifest as SIN. You cannot simultaneously produce good and bad fruit. (Matthew 7:18)

The produce of the flesh are: (with the greek word meanings added for uncommon words)

• Adultery
• Fornication (harlotry, adultery, incest)
• Uncleanness (impurity of body or morals)
• Lasciviousness (filthy wontonness)
• Idolatry
• Witchcraft
• Hatred
• Varience (quarreling, wrangling, strife)
• Emulations (jealousy, malice)
• Wrath
• Strife (faction, contention)
• Seditions (disunion, dissention)
• Heresies (sectism, disunity)
• Envying (ill will, spite)
• Murder
• Drunkenness
• Revellings (rioting, carousel)
• Coveteousness (fraud, extortion, greed)
• Filthiness (obscenity)
• Foolish talking (literally buffoonery)
• Jesting (vulgar joking, in excess)

(See: Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-4)

When looking simply at fruit it makes sense that you can only produce one or the other. The soul that produces long suffering will not also produce murder. The soul that produces peace will not also produce divisions. They cannot come from the same place. Lets keep it simple, consider what it says in 1 John 1:5-6

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

Walking in fellowship with God will produce good fruit. Why? Because when you choose to follow God, your repentance and forsaking of sin will crucify that old man in the flesh and you will be new made in the Spirit and image of God internally, which will then show externally.

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

1 John 3:3-5

Applying the Word

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

2 Corinthians 13:5

The fruit of the Spirit is observable, distinct and discernible from the works of the flesh, and a requirement for Christians to bear. Fruit is the criteria we are given to prove ourselves and others by. So, let’s look into what a fruit check may look like:

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

1 John 3:20-24

The first step in a fruit check is examining the heart. In our own heart we can examine our motives and the ‘why’ in how we do things. This goes back to the Matthew 7 I referenced earlier, from what motive are you bringing forth fruit? As a good or evil tree?

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Matthew 15:19

We then move from the heart to the actions and works that are so often referenced, but keeping the heart in mind. You see, two people could fast the same, pray the same hours, and read the same bible but if one is continuing to live in sin they are not bearing good fruit. This is what Jesus warns of in Matthew 6, when he says not to pray, fast, or give as hypocrites do… but to be sure to do those things before God and not man.

Can we judge another man’s heart? No, but we can still examine his fruit. A recent documentary ‘Death of a Pastor’s Wife’ would make a good example. We see the pastor in that story claims God’s anointing and Spirit filling but he bears the fruit of adultery, wrath, and lasciviousness. You cannot have both righteous fruit and evil. If the fruit is bad, the tree is bad.

To judge righteously as scripture commands in John 7:24 we must judge by all the fruit we have available. You should judge, or prove, yourself. You should try the spirits (1 John 4:1) of preachers and teachers to be sure you are not listening to false prophets. And you should expect others to be examining your fruit as well.

In Summary…

The difference between fruit and works is that fruit is the attribute by which works are preformed. Fruit is observable in, and in addition to, works. James 2:18 says “…shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” Faith is the fruit, works are separate and yet proof of fruit.

We must be righteous judges of good and bad fruit to be discerning. Only when we discern properly will we be able to ‘reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and doctrine’ (2 Timothy 4:2). We will also be judged by the same righteous standard, as a biblical proving.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

1 John 4:1

Personally, I believe we should welcome this examination and trying from others:

I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say

1 Corinthians 10:15

Lastly, and most of all, our fruit and discernment should be always used to glorify God, showing his character through us so long as we live on this Earth.