Page 44 - Pneumatology - Student Textbook

of Christ on a daily basis?” “Have I yielded my life to Christ in every area of my life?” “Am I practicing
“walking in the Spirit” on a daily basis?”

It takes time to grow fruit. After planting a tree, sometimes it takes years before the tree begins to bear
fruit. The same thing applies to this fruit. It will not appear in its fullest sense overnight. It will take years
of spiritual maturing before it becomes solidly manifested in our lives. And like a fruit tree, we must
continually remove the weeds that seek to choke out the nourishment to the tree. Our weeds are the fruit
of yielding to our Old Sin Nature. The fruit of our flesh opposes the fruit of the Spirit.

As we give the Spirit of God more control of our lives, He begins to do in us and through us only what He
can do, and His fruit will start to grow. Let’s briefly look at the fruit that is generated by the Holy Spirit:

1. Love – This is the love of choice, not the love of feeling. It is defined as self-sacrificial service and is best
demonstrated in Jesus Christ’s love for us. The Bible says, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Perhaps the best definition of this type of love can be seen in the following verse:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should
not perish but have eternal life.

God demonstrated this special love by sacrificially giving Himself up for us. This love chooses to set aside
one’s own preferences, desires, and even personal needs to put the other person first (Philippians 2:1-3).

2. Joy – The Greek word for “joy” means “gladness and delight.” It is based on our relationship with Christ,
which is eternal. The world’s joy is based on circumstances which are fleeting. But the joy of the Lord is
established in our spiritual and eternal circumstances. We are a child of God and will live with Him for all
eternity.

3. Peace – This comes from knowing the One who is peace. Under any circumstances of life, we can
experience God’s peace. We can rejoice in God and who He is. We can bring our worries, fears, and
concerns to God in prayer. He is able to manage our lives because He is all powerful and all knowing.

4. Patience – It is difficult to have patience because it requires us to wait on God. Our flesh wants
everything NOW. Patient people put up with circumstances and other people, even when severely tried.
Patient people display endurance, longsuffering, and perseverance. It is a trait of God. He is patient with
us; we need to be patient with others.

5. Kindness and Goodness – The characteristics of these two are closely related. Together they present
the picture of one who possesses moral goodness and integrity and expresses these traits in the way he
acts towards others.

6. Faithfulness - This trait means to be reliable or trustworthy. It is based on continual and consistent
submission and obedience to the Spirit of God who enables us to be faithful. As stewards of God’s
blessings, we are required by God to be faithful to use His gifts to glorify Him. Someday we will be judged
on our faithfulness in regards to our service to Him.

7. Gentleness and Meekness. Gentleness is strength under control. It is the opposite of self-assertiveness
and self-interest and is the key ingredient in unity and peace within the body of Christ (Eph 4:2).

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