EXPERIENCE THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Scripture:

Galatians 5:22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (NLT)

Thought:

On our kitchen table, you will find a small, round, metal dish holding a variety of fruit. You might discover bananas, oranges, tangerines, grapes, apples, peaches, or grapefruits. They are meant to be snacks if you get hungry or something to grab as you go out the door. At the moment of this writing, four small oranges look like they have been there for a while. No doubt they will be replaced after Esther comes home from the grocery store.

Imagine for a moment our lives being as that dish on God’s table, containing fruit for others to enjoy as they interact with us. The fruits of the Spirit are the character traits found in our lives that reflect the nature of Christ.

As we grow in our walk with Jesus, fruit begins to naturally grow because He is daily transforming our lives to be more like Him.  Fruit is the by-product of Christ’s control; it will naturally improve as your relationship in Christ grows.

It is from our fruit that the world gets a taste of who God is. The Spiritual fruit we bear makes the unbelievers hungry for the things of God. Dr. Dell Tarr, one of my university presidents, taught that the fruit produced in our lives is for the weary travelers around us. It becomes one of the most dynamic evangelical tools God has ever created. Here’s the way it works:

When you find a weary traveler and when he says, "I am sick of the church," you say to him, "Have a grape." He takes it and tastes it. He says, "That is the sweetest thing I have ever tasted," and you invite him to take another. So when he comes struggling and limping to you and plucks a grape from your hand, he says, "Wow! That’s good! You must be a real Christian.

The true sweetness of service, the care, the genuine love, the giving, and sacrifice are something that blows him away because the world doesn’t have it. The world is alien to this. When you are full of meekness, joy, peace, faith, and love, he will say, "Where did you get that and where can I get some?"

The Fruit Inspection Quiz

Think about each fruit in your life. Give yourself a grade, 1 being the weakest and 7 being the strongest.

LOVE                        1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

JOY                            1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

PEACE                     1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

PATIENCE              1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

KINDNESS             1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

MEEKNESS           1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

FAITHFULNESS 1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

GENTLENESS     1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

SELF CONTROL  1………..2…………3………..4………..5………..6……..…7

Decision:

Based on what you read and the results of your quiz, what areas of your life need to be adjusted?

What are ways a person can improve on the quality of spiritual fruit?