| Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” |
What advantage do I have in following the Lord? The following are nine life changing benefits, gifted by the Holy Spirit to those who love Him: The Bible talks about the fruit of the Spirit. When we make God a priority in our life, He will bear in us, Spiritual fruit that is sweet, healthy, colorful, seasonal and organic. Three kinds of this fruit refer to the inner experience that we enjoy when we live in the Lord.
1. LOVE-the intentional desire to treat others as Christ has treated us.
2. JOY-the natural experience that comes from contemplating our salvation and the blessings that stem from it.
3. PEACE- the quietness of the soul that is unmoved despite the trials and tribulations here on earth.
The fruit in 4-6, are concerning one’s relationship with other people.
4. PATIENCE-the willingness to bear under trial, inconvenience, unkindness and other forms of personal trouble without losing one’s composure in Christ.
5. KINDNESS– an attitude that is sweet, gracious and generous in all things. A kind person has no problem giving in various ways because he realizes that everything he has, is given to him by God.
6. GOODNESS – refers to what a person actually does rather than an attitude. Kindness is about attitude, goodness is more about acts.
Finally, the fruit in 7-9 are the virtues cultivated through discipline of the Spirit.
7. FAITHFULNESS -trust and belief, being a trustworthy person, one who is faithful and true to God.
7. GENTLENESS – also referred to as meekness. One who is not preoccupied with self. A meek or gentle person will not seek his own will, but submit his will to God.
9. SELF-CONTROL -is the ability to maintain the boundaries set for us by God in our thoughts, words and deeds. It is the inner strength created by the repeated exercise of obedience to God.
His Spirit empowers us to develop and exhibit His fruit. What a beautiful life we have when we follow the Lord.
– Gina Leggett
