The Fruit of the Spirit

We need to bear in mind that both fruit and gifts are equally from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives the gifts. The Holy Spirit brings forth the fruit. Both are equally the will of God. God wants His people to exercise gifts. God wants His people to bring forth fruit. There is no conflict between the two.

You may say, “Well, what’s the difference between fruit and gifts?” I’ll give you a brief, simple explanation.

Gifts are given and received in a single, brief transaction. They cannot be earned. They cannot be worked for.

On the other hand, fruit comes by a process of gradual growth, and it needs to be cultivated. It’s a significant fact that almost anywhere in the world today, it would be impossible to market fruit that had not been deliberately cultivated.

To make a vivid picture of the difference, we can consider two trees: an apple tree and a Christmas tree. An apple tree bears fruit, and a Christmas tree bears gifts.

I’ve said that fruit has to be cultivated. Now, I want to give you some brief directions as to how fruit should be cultivated.

Let’s look, first of all, at 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 6, where Paul says this:

“The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops,’ or the produce, or the fruit.”

Paul there brings out a very simple, basic fact: cultivating crops or fruit takes hard work. It is not done without effort. And that is equally true of the fruit of the Spirit. To cultivate it requires hard work. I want to suggest to you four things you need to do to cultivate spiritual fruit in your life.

First, you need to study God’s Word. God’s Word is the basis of all God’s provision for us. If we’re not familiar with His Word, we almost inevitably go without many of His provisions.

2 Timothy 2:15, Paul says again to Timothy,

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”

So, in order to handle the word of truth—that’s the Scripture, the Word of God—accurately, you have to be a workman. It takes time. In a certain sense, you have to roll up your sleeves and get with it.

The second direction I would give you is spend time in prayer. And by prayer, I mean not merely talking to God, but what is just as important, maybe even more important, is listening to God. Here again, Jesus provides us with the perfect pattern.

The whole basis of Jesus’ earthly ministry was His relationship with His Father. And in order to cultivate and maintain that relationship, Jesus took plenty of time in prayer, very often early in the morning. And there He heard the Father’s voice and received His direction for His ministry.

The third direction I would offer you is this: cultivate fellowship. Don’t try to lead the Christian life on your own. The Scripture says that we’re all members of one body, and we all need one another.

I often think of David going out to meet Goliath. You remember that the weapons he took were just five smooth stones from the brook. Why did those stones have to be smooth? Well, of course, they wouldn’t have been accurate if they hadn’t been smooth. Any lumps or unevenness on them would have made them unreliable and inaccurate in their flight. They might have cost David his life.

Why were the stones smooth? Because they’d been lying in the brook. What had happened to them in the brook? Well, first of all, water had been passing over them regularly. Secondly, they’d been jostling against one another and rubbing off the sharp edges.

Now, I believe when the Lord Jesus Christ wants to find Christians He can use, He goes to the brook. He goes to the place where the pure water of God’s Word has been flowing over them, washing them, rounding them off. And secondly, where they’ve been in fellowship with one another and rubbing off the rough edges against one another.

So, cultivate fellowship, and it will make you into a smooth stone.

The fourth and final recommendation I have for you is submit to discipline. Fruit does not come in any person’s life without discipline. And I have in mind two main forms of discipline.

First of all, self-discipline, your own personal discipline, the way you organize your life. Even simple things like when you get up, what you eat, what you wear, how clean you keep yourself—all that’s essential to cultivating fruit.

But beyond that, I believe every Christian, in normal situations, should be subject to church discipline. He should be a member of a church and under the authority of the church leaders and subject to their discipline. So, those are my four recommendations: study God’s Word, spend time in prayer, cultivate fellowship, submit to discipline.