But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law. 
Galatians 5:22-23 

You know it’s an apple tree when you see limbs laden with luscious red fruit, ready to be picked. If the fruit has a fuzzy texture and is peach in color, there may be a peach pie or homemade ice cream in your future.  

Even a preschooler knows that apples grow on an apple tree, while peach trees produce peaches. Nature provided the perfect analogy for Paul to teach about the fruit of the Spirit.  

Without an apple tree, there is no apple … and without the Spirit, there can be no fruit of the Spirit. A simple fact that illustrates a profound theological truth: Only the Holy Spirit in us can produce the fruit of the Spirit. It cannot be manufactured by human striving. If the Holy Spirit abides in us, then these characteristics should—and will—be evident as we grow in Christ.  

Two big church-y words come to mind: 

Salvation: the moment of conversion. 

Sanctification: the lifelong transformation that results from conversion. 

(Yes, theologians would have much more sophisticated and astute definitions, but these serve our purpose here.) 

One is a snapshot in time; the other is the video of life going forward.

These characteristics are not a pathway to salvation, but a result of it. If the Spirit is in us, we will produce this fruit.  

It’s noteworthy that Paul uses the singular fruit rather than the plural fruits in this passage. We have not nine distinct fruits, but one ultra-fruit. As followers of Jesus, we don’t just have joy and gentleness, we are blessed with kindness, self-control, and all the others, as well. If those traits are lacking in us, we are not yet mature. Ever try to eat a peach that hasn’t ripened? It’s hard and bitter (a description that might describe some believers in God’s family, while they are still immature).  

Trees and other plants that produce delicious food for us need good soil, plenty of sunlight, and a healthy amount of rain. The same is true of followers of Christ. When you and I plant ourselves in a place (Bible study, church, small groups, mentoring relationships, etc.) to study and grow with other believers, abide in the light of His presence in prayer, and soak ourselves in God’s Word, I’m convinced we will mature. The fruit of the Spirit will be clearly visible—hanging from our words, displayed in our actions and attitudes.  

Fall is harvest season. What better time for us to soak up passages on the fruit of the Spirit? Beginning this month and proceeding through November, our next two months of Write the Word will explore six verses for each Galatians 5:22 trait: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. A matching S.O.A.P. study guide is also available to download and print.

We pray God’s Spirit uses God’s Word to stir up our hearts, bringing growth and greater maturity in Christ. Won’t you download this month’s bookmark and start writing along with us?  

 Download this month’s bookmark in standard size or large print:

Write The Word: Fruit of the Spirit – Standard Bookmark

Write The Word: Fruit of the Spirit – Large Print Bookmark

Don’t forget the printable S.O.A.P. page
to help organize thoughts & observations
as you study God’s Word:

Write The Word: Fruit of the Spirit – S.O.A.P. Study Guide

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Visit our Write The Word archives to find daily verses for a variety of other topics.

Never used a S.O.A.P. study guide? Find out more about the method here.

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Our friend Melissa Habermas of Create4Good has recently designed some beautiful t-shirts
showcasing each of the nine traits of the Fruit of the Spirit.
You can see (and order!) the collection on Amazon …
but Melissa has been kind enough to offer a FREE shirt (in the design of your choice) to one of our readers.

There are two ways to enter:

1) leave a comment on this blog post, and/or …

2) share your thoughts, favorite verse of the week, or a photo on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest with the hashtags
#AReasonForHomeschool and #WriteTheWord.

You’ll receive one entry for each comment or social media post. At the end of October,
a winner will be chosen to select a free Fruit of the Spirit t-shirt from Create4Good.

IMPORTANT NOTES:
Open to U.S. residents only. Winners must provide a valid email address when leaving a blog comment.
To enter via social media, your privacy settings must be configured to allow us to see your posts.
Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram entries must use BOTH hashtags:
#AReasonForHomeschool and #WriteTheWord
A winner will be selected randomly from entries received by 11:59 p.m. (Central), October 31, 2018.