Fruits of the Spirit in Our Life

Isaiah, the prophet tells us that in the last days, “darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.” Isa. 60:2.

The Holy Scriptures also reveal that the only light which will pierce this thick spiritual darkness will be that which emanates from Christ’s followers; we need to arise and shine. There is not nor ever can be, any other source of light. Christ Himself said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 5:14-16.

As we are heeding the admonition to arise and shine; if we are to shine as a light in this world, we must first be closely connected with Jesus Christ, the source of all light, and His faith must be engraved upon the fleshy tables of the heart.

Only those who are thus connected with our Saviour Jesus Christ can be true light bearers in every sense of the word. However, before one can be a light bearer, one must have become a fruit bearer. John 15:1, 2, 4, 5. “I am the true vine and My Father is the Husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me; 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.”

It is clear from these words that only as we are connected with Christ, the true vine, can we bear fruit and only as we bear fruit, we shine as lights in the world. Therefore, let us consider these spiritual fruits individually, as found in Galatians 5: 22-23 – love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. This is the harvest which Christ looks for in the life of every true Christian.

Only those who bring forth these fruits of the Spirit, fulfill the righteousness of the law, as the Apostle Paul states in Romans 8:4. A perfect example of a man who brought forth all the fruits of the Spirit was Enoch. Amid the total darkness and apostasy of this time, he shone as a bright light in the world. Gen. 5:24. Shadrach, Meschach, Abednego, and Daniel also shone in the court of Babylon. It is a significant fact that the first spiritual fruit mentioned on the Christian tree is love. This attribute takes the first place because all others are dependent on it. God Himself is love, without love there could be no joy, peace, and longsuffering, or other spiritual fruits.

Love is the foundation of the universe. In the plan of redemption, this divine love must be reflected in the life of every true Christian. A detailed description of this spiritual fruit is given in 1 Corinthians 13. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that whereas faith and hope will one day vanish, when faith has become sight, and hope has been realized, love will endure forever.

Joy, which is a natural consequence of love, Paul admonishes us in Phillipians 4:4. “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.” “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” Prov. 17:22. Joy and happiness apart from Christ are impossible. The only really happy people in the world are true Christians. Luke 2:10; John 1:3, 4.

Peace is the third spiritual fruit; the world is torn by hatred, strife and violence, bloodshed and war; a world which knows no peace, because it rejected the Prince of Peace. Peace comes to the soul as a result of obedience to the law of God. John 14:27.

The fourth fruit is longsuffering or patience. An attribute which God’s people will possess in the latter days to a special degree. Rev. 14:12. “Here is the patience of the saints.” As patience is not an attribute of the natural heart, God has given His people special light, through the message of health reform, on how to cultivate this fruit of the Spirit, by showing us the exact effect of right and wrong eating on character. Temperance in eating must be practiced before we can be patient men. 2T 405. A disregard of this heaven-sent message will hinder our progress in the Christian life and unfit us to stand in the fierce conflict which awaits God’s people in the coming days. Daniel and his companions are our example.

“True gentleness is a gem of great value in the sight of God. A meek and quiet spirit will not be ever looking out for happiness for itself, but will seek for self-forgetfulness and find sweet comfort and true satisfaction in making others happy.” 3T 536.

Goodness is another attribute which is distinctly foreign to man in his fallen state. “True goodness is accounted of heaven as true greatness. A person may have property and intellect, and yet be valueless, because the growing fire of goodness has never burned upon the altar of his heart.” 2T 305.

Let us strive by the grace of Christ to keep this fire continually burning. Joseph had this quality of gentleness in character. He was the man of charity when he showed his gentleness to his brothers in Egypt. We need such kind of spirit to help us to be meek.

Temperance is the last of the fruits of the spirit in a time of general apostasy from God when men’s hearts are overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness. Luke 21:34.

Daniel 1:8, “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank…” Eccl. 10:17,

“Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of noble and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness.” Nevertheless, temperance in all things is and remains the motor of the true Christian. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. 1 Cor. 4:25.
AMEN.

Anthony Cedric Adjei, Ghana