Why Is It called Fruit of the Spirit? Not Fruits of the Spirit?

Let's take an apple as an example. Qualities of an apple could be:

Have you noticed in the Church today, many Christians seem to be placing alot of emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit? How often do you hear pastors or leaders talk about the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

Though the gifts of the Holy Spirit are essential in the body of Christ, as a Christian, the fruit of the Holy Spirit are extremely important (if not more).

As a Christian, the fruit of the Holy Spirit that you bear tells how much you're being led by the Holy Spirit. The closer your relationship with the Holy Spirit, the greater your bearing of spiritual fruits.

By manifesting the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives, we bear testimony to the God we serve. People do not judge by what you say, but they judge by what you do!

On the contrary, if we walk according to the flesh, we exhibit:

Are You Led By The Holy Spirit? Do You Bear The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit?

If you are led by the Spirit of God, the nine fruit of the Holy Spirit will inevitably appear.

Many Christians seek the manifestation and power of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, though it is important, but they do not submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit to lead a pure and holy life.

Our Number 1 priority in life should be to seek God and all His righteousness, rather than His blessings and gifts. When we do that, we will know what is God's will for our lives and all the things we need will be given to us by the Father,

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
-Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

God still wants us to be like Jesus, conformed to His image, bearing the nine fruit of the Holy Spirit as well. God hates sin, and sin grieves the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

One thing we must know is that gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to us, but fruit of the Holy Spirit are developed over time.

When you received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit comes and plants a small little seed in your heart. This seed must be watered, nurtured and developed in us. To do that, we must:

Bearing The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit Is God's Will For Our Life

God's purpose for your life, and mine, is to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that our relationship with Him is like a vine and its branches.

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
-John 15:5 (NKJV)

Again Jesus teaches, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."
John 15:16 (NKJV)

Jesus commands us to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit!

If you want to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, you must live a holy lifestyle, reject sin, delight in the commandments of God and be planted in a local Church

King David, an ancestor of Jesus, possibly the greatest King Isreal every had, said,

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night, he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."
-Psalms 1:1-3 (NKJV)

Being planted in the house of God and attending services regularly is extremely important to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Further in the book of Psalms, King David said,

"Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing."
-Psalms 92:13-14 (NKJV)

God Prunes When We Bear Fruit Of The Holy Spirit

As you have learned, Jesus is the vine that produces the fruit. We are the ones who bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. God the Father is the vinedresser who prunes the vines.

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser, every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."
-John 15:1-2 (NKJV)

The pruning process is one that many Christians reject. It is a tough and difficult process when God is working in us and moulding us to become more fruitful. Our heavenly Father prunes the productive christian just as a farmer prunes his crops - to produce even more fruits.

In the book of Luke, Jesus gave a parable of the barren fig tree. This parable shows a God who is patient and continually works with a unproductive soul to produce fruit of the Holy Spirit.

"A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, "Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?" But he answered and said to him, "Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after this you can cut it down."
-Luke 13:6-9 (NKJV)

The Nine Fruit Of The Holy Spirit

In the New Testament book of Galatians, Paul identifies the godly qualities that God wants to produce in our lives.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.."
-Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

If you have noticed, the "fruit" of the Holy Spirit is singular in form, not "fruits" of the Holy Spirit. It means that there is one fruit, but revealed in 9 different supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

The nine fruit of the Holy Spirit can be further divided into 3 categories.

Relationship with God

Sheep Or Wolves?

Be careful of so called "Christians"! There are many people who call themselves Christians, and pretend to be holy, like the pharisees which Jesus often rebuked.

They like to use the word of God to get what they want, wear a t shirt that says "Jesus loves you, know when to say "Amen" and "Hallelujah".

Are they the meek sheep that worships Jesus in spirit and in truth? Or are they the ravenous wolves who seeks to devour?

Our infinitely wise Jesus said,

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits... Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.... Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
-Matthew 7:15-20 (NKJV)

By observing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives, you can know whether they are geniune disciples or not.

Friend, stop living a barren Christian life! Make a decision to cultivate the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life. Not only will you grow closer to our dear Holy Spirit, you will also be a powerful testimoney to the lost!

If you say yes to that, let us pray together.

Father, your mercies are new everyday. You are the true vinedresser of our lives.

I pray that you will be patient with us, give us the grace to grow and develope the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Help us to overcome the temptations of sin so that we will not grief the Holy Spirit. Open up our spiritual ears and let us be so sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Bend our will, so that we can submit to your Lordship. Water the barren ground in our spirit. Help us to bear more fruits for your kingdom's sake.

Change us into the image of Jesus, and make us a powerful testimony to the unchurched. Let them see the love of Jesus by the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I thank You and praise You. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Articles On The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit

Fruit Of The Spirit
There has to be a balance between the gifts and the fruit of the Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not substitutes for the fruit of the Spirit, nor are they an excuse to disobey the laws.