Continuing our study of the Book of Galatians, we now delve into the profound concept of the fruits of the Spirit. This post aims to provide a clear and comprehensive understanding of these fruits, their significance, and their practical implications for believers. The fruit of the Spirit cannot be acquired or achieved by our own human effort, actions, or abilities. Instead, it is a product of the Holy Spirit working within us. It is important to recognize that faith in Christ is essential for experiencing the fruit of the Spirit.

The passage in Galatians 5: 22-24 reveals that the fruit of the spirit is a direct outcome of our relationship with Christ. It is a visible expression of the new nature we possess after accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The fruit of the spirit serves as evidence of Christ’s power at work within us. This life we have received is deeply connected to Christ, who is the ultimate source of all life. It flows from His presence within us and becomes evident in the form of the fruit that is produced by the new life of Christ dwelling within us.

Jesus illustrated this in John 15:5 “ I  am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

Jesus said, “I AM THE VINE…YOU ARE THE BRANCHES” The branch is the fruit-carrying part of the tree. So, we believers are the fruit-carrying part of this tree as illustrated by our Lord. If we abide in Him or live in Him and He lives in us then we can bear this fruit in abundance. He never said anything about our human effort. Just two conditions are required. Abide in Him and He in us!!! Here is another scripture that explains what it means to abide in Christ and Him in us.

Rom 11:17-20 “But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. 18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.19 “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” 20 Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.”

 When we came to Christ we were grafted into Him by faith only. We were joined together with Him as one spirit. We in Him and He in us.  

1 Cor 6:17 “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.”

When a branch is grafted into a tree, the nature of the tree affects the nature of that branch. Similarly, when we are grafted into the holy life of Christ, our nature is transformed to reflect His life. Just as a grafted branch does not have to exert effort to produce the fruit of the tree, we too, by remaining attached to Christ through faith, naturally bear the fruit of righteousness. In the previous Scripture (Romans 11:17-20) we reviewed, it was noted that some Jews were broken off from the tree because they did not believe in Christ. As long as we hold firm in our belief in Christ, we remain grafted into Him. It is through this connection that we, who were once characterized by our sinful nature, can now produce a new life through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is another Scripture that sheds even more light on how we cannot produce this fruit by obeying the laws but simply by faith in Christ Jesus.

Rom 7:4-6 “So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.”

Before we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, all we produced were sinful deeds! This is because we had our sinful nature. So, all we did was simply act according to our nature; sin, disobey God, and produce sinful deeds.

Eph 2:3 “All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.”

Ephesians 2:3 reminds us of our past condition before accepting Christ. It acknowledges that we used to live according to our sinful nature, following our own desires and inclinations. By our very nature, we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. It is important for us to recognize the reality of our sinful state before experiencing the transformative power of Christ. However, the good news is that Jesus provided a way out for us. He offered us a new nature, a new life in Him. He not only gave us His life, but He also took our place and paid the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross. Through His sacrifice, He removed our old sinful nature that led us to engage in sinful deeds.

In accepting Christ, we are spiritually united with Him. We were buried with Him in His death, and as He rose again, we too received a new life in Him. This incredible truth should fill us with praise and gratitude. It means that when we came to Christ, He imparted His own life into us, transforming us from within. This reminds us of the amazing grace and mercy of God, that not only forgives our sins but also empowers us to live a new life in Christ.

In essence, to bear the fruit of the spirit, we need to begin by accepting Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. Through this act of faith, we are joined to Him, becoming united and sharing in His spirit. As a natural outcome of this union, we display the fruit of the spirit in our lives, resulting in a harvest of good actions and character traits. These fruits are evident and observable to those around us, serving as a tangible testimony of the transformation that Christ has worked within us.

Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor of Fountain of The Living Word Church, New Jersey.