FOTS--Fruits of the Spirit lesson


What are the 9 Fruits of the Spirit?

Here are the nine fruits of the spirit as listed in the Bible in Galatians 5:22-23:

  1. Love
  2. Joy
  3. Peace
  4. Patience
  5. Kindness
  6. Goodness
  7. Faithfulness
  8. Gentleness
  9. Self-control

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5: 22-23

Note that the Catholic church includes a few additional fruits as part of tradition, listing 12:

The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: “charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.”

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How Do I Develop Fruits of the Holy Spirit in My Life?

Fruits of the spirit come from the Holy Spirit who is at work in your heart once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. Spiritual fruits are not things that you generate on your own. These fruits come from God at work in you.

As your faith grows and deepens, so do your spiritual fruits like patience and kindness.

That’s why these are called fruits of the spirit vs. fruits of the man or fruits of the woman. 

Spiritual fruit only develops in connection to faith growth.

Why Are Spiritual Fruits Important?

Fruits of the spirit are important because it is a manifestation of faith. Faith cannot be seen on the outside, but spiritual fruits can be seen.

Matthew 7:16 tells us that Christian will be recognized by their fruits.

It’s important to understand that fruits of the spirit are not necessary for salvation or able to save you. Only Jesus Christ saving work on the cross is what saves any person and gives eternal life with God.

What Are Some Practical Examples of the Fruit of the Spirit?

What are some everyday examples of spiritual fruits? Here are ways you’ll see that the Spirit is at work in your life.

Love

Love, or Charity, is desire for God and serving him wholeheartedly, without expectation of anything in return. Love for God spills over into loving the people around you. Biblical love comes from God at work inside of you.

Here are ways the spirit of love manifests:

  • Giving to other people with no expectation of something in return.
  • Worshipping God fully, both at church and on your own.
  • Not just knowing God, but developing a close personal relationship with God.
  • Showing love and grace to people in your life who are hard to love.
  • Thoughtful actions for the people closest to you.
  • Seeing people through God’s eyes and believing the best in them.

Love is the overarching spiritual fruit that includes aspects of all others (1 Corinthians 13).

Joy

Joy is a deep sense of contentment. Christian joy is different than happiness, which is a feeling that comes and goes. Joy is knowing you have eternal life with God someday and that He is in control of the world.

Click here for a full 30 day Bible study about joy.

Here are ways the fruit of joy shows in your life:

  • Feeling deep calm even when you aren’t happy.
  • Continuing to feel a sense of peace even when things go wrong.
  • Thanking God for your many blessings.
  • Living life with a sense of gratitude.
  • Not complaining.


Peace

Peace is tranquility and calm in your soul. Peace is remaining calm during crisis or tough times, knowing that things might be difficult now but ultimately God will use it for your good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

Click here for a 30 day reading plan to calm anxiety.

Here are ways to recognize the fruit of peace:

  • Remaining calm during crisis.
  • A sense of deep relaxation that God is in control.
  • When others are anxious, you remind them of God’s goodness.
  • Able to be decisive, knowing God will bring good from any decision.


Patience

Patience, also called longsuffering, is the ability to endure difficulties without getting upset or angry. Patience is a struggle for many of us and an important fruit of the spirit to develop in your life.

Remember that Biblical patience is supernatural – it’s using God’s power to be patient when your own runs out.

Examples of the fruit of patience are:

  • Enduring difficulties without worry.
  • Showing patience for your husband, children, co-workers, or friends when their behaviors upset you.
  • Not being easily upset by life’s challenges both big and small.
  • Having endurance during difficult times.
  • Trusting that everything happens in God’s timing.
  • Waiting without complaining.

Kindness

Kindness is showing consideration to others. We often think of kindness as being nice. Being nice can be part of it, but kindness goes deeper. Kindness includes empathy, which is trying to put yourself in the shoes of another person and consider their feelings.

Here are some examples of the fruit of kindness.

  • Letting others go first.
  • Offering small acts of service to other people.
  • Giving gifts.
  • Thinking of the feelings of other people before speaking or acting.
  • Being a generous host or hostess.
  • Being friendly and gracious to people you come in contact with throughout your day.
  • Going the extra mile to give to other people.

Goodness

Goodness is avoiding evil and embracing what’s right according to God’s law. Goodness is not ignoring life’s sinful situations, but choosing to turn away from them and seek God’s will.

These are some of the fruits of goodness in the life of a Christian:

  • Avoiding sin.
  • Making Godly decisions for yourself and your family.
  • Choosing TV, movies, books, and social media that are God-honoring.
  • Watching for the best in other people.
  • Not making negative assumptions.
  • Turning to God as your source of ultimate goodness.


Faithfulness

Faithfulness is fidelity, which is staying within the bounds of a commitment. This includes faith to God and His Word in the Bible and faithfulness with earthly commitments, such as marriage. Faithfulness includes the integrity of doing what you say you will do.

What does faithfulness as a fruit of the spirit look like? It includes:

  • Remaining sexually faithful to your spouse.
  • Taking care of your children.
  • Honoring your parents.
  • Keeping commitments whether work, volunteer, or in relationships.
  • Boldly proclaiming the truth of Jesus even if others tease or threaten you.
  • Willingness to be martyred for your faith.

Gentleness

Gentleness is being kind and tender. Proverbs 15:1 says, ” A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Gentleness is treating others with a calm kindness that comes from extending God’s grace to everyone you meet.

  • Loving care for those you are a caretaker for, including children, students, patients, or aging parents.
  • Having a quiet, calm demeanor of words and action.
  • Thinking before speaking.
  • Defending those who cannot defend themselves, including speaking out against abuse of all types.
  • Treating animals with kindness.

Self-control

Self-control is the ability to manage your impulses and momentary desires. Self-control is choosing what is best for the long run, not just what you want in the moment. The fruit of self-control doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy good things like watching a favorite TV show or enjoying a bowl of ice cream.

Self-control is the maturity of enjoying God’s good gifts in healthy moderation. Use these scriptures about temptation to grow in this important area.

Here’s how self-control looks as a fruit of the Holy Spirit:

Opposites of the Fruits of the Spirit

Another way to know if you are developing the fruits of the spirit is to look for the opposite in your life.

Here are opposites for each of the Biblical fruits.

  • Love – Hate
  • Joy – Discontentment
  • Peace – Anxiety
  • Patience – Impulsiveness
  • Kindness – Cruelty
  • Goodness – Evil
  • Faithfulness – Cheating
  • Gentleness – Harshness
  • Self-control – Succumbing

Do you see some of these sinful behaviors and patterns? That means this is an area where you can pray and ask God to develop more spiritual fruit in your life.

Praying for the Fruits of the Spirit

Here is a prayer to develop stronger spiritual fruits in your life.

Lord, grow me in spiritual fruits. I know these are not something I earn or work toward but instead gifts from the Holy Spirit at work in my life. Pour out your Spirit into my heart, mind, body and soul so that I develop love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I let go of my strength and instead rely on yours as you cultivate this growth in me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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