Week 10 - Spiritual Gifts vs. Spiritual Fruit
I Corinthians 4:8-11 ““There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.” For to one is give the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self-control. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.”
Never before in the history of the church have the gifts of the Holy Spirit been pushed and studied. We are taught to seek the gifts and strive to manifest these gifts. What we lack as the body of Christ is an understanding of the fruits of this same Spirit. The problem with that is that they are connected intimately, and one cannot fully be utilized without the other.
The key to the verse in Corinthians is not the description of the gifts, but the knowledge that they are given at the will of the Holy Spirit. He may give one person the word of wisdom and to another the gift of healing. The key word here is that they are all gifts. You can strive for them and ask them, but nothing you do will bring them to you unless the Holy Spirit desires it. Gifts always confirm the Word of the Lord. In other words, whether you receive a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, a prophecy, or speak in tongues, it is intended to prove what God is saying to you and doing through you.
The fruit of the Spirit is the demonstration of our “newness” in Christ as it is expressed to others through our actions. Galatians lists these fruits, and seeing these fruits played out in our very lives is the ultimate desire of the Father for His children. This may sound harsh, but it does not matter whether or not you speak in tongues or if you prophesy. Jesus is coming back to connect with those who possess His own nature; and that goes far beyond merely exercising spiritual gifts.
Consider what the Word of God says in Matthew 7:22-23; “Man will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
This tells us you can be actively serving, yet refuse to deal with character issues – and this could disqualify you from doing God’s work. We need to do regular “fruit-checks,” because developing the “fruit of the Spirit” lays the proper foundation needed to operate in the things of God. Too many believers have learned to speak “Christianese” way to well. We have become skilled at praising the Lord in church services, and then doing whatever we feel like doing afterwards. An old Pastor friend used to say, “You cannot behave like a saint on Sunday and a Saint Bernard the rest of the week.” We have become so professional that we justify our lack of fruit. We make excuses for our behavior like, “That’s just my personality… that’s how I am.”
There is a reason that 1 Corinthians 13 follows 1 Corinthians 12. Chapter 12 deals and lists the gifts of the spirit, and then Paul lets us know in Chapter 13 that love is the ultimate gift of the spirit. If we practice any of the gifts of the spirit without the love of God expressed through our actions and without love as a result, then those gifts and manifestations are useless except to make us look “spiritual.”
In Galatians 5:6 , the word tells us “all that matters is living in the faith that works through love.” When we exercise our gifts, it should flow from a well of love for God’s people. We should relate to each other from a spirit of love.
So, how can we develop the fruits of the Spirit in our lives?
1. Go directly to the Source
Developing the fruit of the spirit comes from a relationship with the Lord. Developing the fruit of the spirit becomes a natural process when we yield to the Lord. By spending time and developing a relationship with Him, appreciating how much He loves us, and understanding who He is and who He wants to be in us, we begin to yield to Jesus. That process allows us to develop a oneness with Him that results in us developing the fruit of the spirit.
2. Remove any Barriers
When we allow the Lord to work in our lives, areas of weakness will inevitably become known. The Lord will bring to mind areas that need His healing—offenses that must be forgiven, habits that need to be broken, and directions that we should follow. We may not even understand the reason for what the Lord tells us to do, but if we will obey Him, the results will be life changing.
3. Put Your Fruit on the Tree
The reality is that fruit on a tree is not fruit until it is hanging on the branches. It is the same with spiritual fruit. We cannot claim to have fruit in our lives until we are willing to put it on display. We do not have the fruit of patience until we exhibit the fruit of patience. We do not have the fruit of faithfulness until we exhibit the fruit of faithfulness. Just as fruit on a tree starts small and grows, the fruit of the spirit must grow, too. When we develop our relationships with the Lord and remove blockages, we create a healthy spiritual environment that encourages growth
4. Realize that it is all about Jesus
Demonstrating the fruits in our lives should be the desire of every Christian, because every Christian should want more of Jesus. As the book of Acts makes so clear: “It is through Him that we live and function and have our identity; just as your own poets have said, ‘Our lineage comes from Him’” (Acts 17:28) That is why it is so important to allow Jesus to work in us. His presence in our lives becomes all-encompassing. When we need the fruit of the spirit, it is there for us because Jesus is in us.
The goal or both gifts and fruit is simple - Be more like Christ. We must return to the Bible so that it can work within us and reveal to us who we are in HIM so that we can see and fight against the shortcomings we may possess. You and I must learn our Bible so well that regardless of the circumstance, our “fruit” shines through.
As we pray and study, the Holy Spirit will begin to change us – through this, God is forming His character in us. He will help us to use our gifts to their ultimate goal, producing fruit in others.
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self-control. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.”
Never before in the history of the church have the gifts of the Holy Spirit been pushed and studied. We are taught to seek the gifts and strive to manifest these gifts. What we lack as the body of Christ is an understanding of the fruits of this same Spirit. The problem with that is that they are connected intimately, and one cannot fully be utilized without the other.
The key to the verse in Corinthians is not the description of the gifts, but the knowledge that they are given at the will of the Holy Spirit. He may give one person the word of wisdom and to another the gift of healing. The key word here is that they are all gifts. You can strive for them and ask them, but nothing you do will bring them to you unless the Holy Spirit desires it. Gifts always confirm the Word of the Lord. In other words, whether you receive a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, a prophecy, or speak in tongues, it is intended to prove what God is saying to you and doing through you.
The fruit of the Spirit is the demonstration of our “newness” in Christ as it is expressed to others through our actions. Galatians lists these fruits, and seeing these fruits played out in our very lives is the ultimate desire of the Father for His children. This may sound harsh, but it does not matter whether or not you speak in tongues or if you prophesy. Jesus is coming back to connect with those who possess His own nature; and that goes far beyond merely exercising spiritual gifts.
Consider what the Word of God says in Matthew 7:22-23; “Man will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
This tells us you can be actively serving, yet refuse to deal with character issues – and this could disqualify you from doing God’s work. We need to do regular “fruit-checks,” because developing the “fruit of the Spirit” lays the proper foundation needed to operate in the things of God. Too many believers have learned to speak “Christianese” way to well. We have become skilled at praising the Lord in church services, and then doing whatever we feel like doing afterwards. An old Pastor friend used to say, “You cannot behave like a saint on Sunday and a Saint Bernard the rest of the week.” We have become so professional that we justify our lack of fruit. We make excuses for our behavior like, “That’s just my personality… that’s how I am.”
There is a reason that 1 Corinthians 13 follows 1 Corinthians 12. Chapter 12 deals and lists the gifts of the spirit, and then Paul lets us know in Chapter 13 that love is the ultimate gift of the spirit. If we practice any of the gifts of the spirit without the love of God expressed through our actions and without love as a result, then those gifts and manifestations are useless except to make us look “spiritual.”
In Galatians 5:6 , the word tells us “all that matters is living in the faith that works through love.” When we exercise our gifts, it should flow from a well of love for God’s people. We should relate to each other from a spirit of love.
So, how can we develop the fruits of the Spirit in our lives?
1. Go directly to the Source
Developing the fruit of the spirit comes from a relationship with the Lord. Developing the fruit of the spirit becomes a natural process when we yield to the Lord. By spending time and developing a relationship with Him, appreciating how much He loves us, and understanding who He is and who He wants to be in us, we begin to yield to Jesus. That process allows us to develop a oneness with Him that results in us developing the fruit of the spirit.
2. Remove any Barriers
When we allow the Lord to work in our lives, areas of weakness will inevitably become known. The Lord will bring to mind areas that need His healing—offenses that must be forgiven, habits that need to be broken, and directions that we should follow. We may not even understand the reason for what the Lord tells us to do, but if we will obey Him, the results will be life changing.
3. Put Your Fruit on the Tree
The reality is that fruit on a tree is not fruit until it is hanging on the branches. It is the same with spiritual fruit. We cannot claim to have fruit in our lives until we are willing to put it on display. We do not have the fruit of patience until we exhibit the fruit of patience. We do not have the fruit of faithfulness until we exhibit the fruit of faithfulness. Just as fruit on a tree starts small and grows, the fruit of the spirit must grow, too. When we develop our relationships with the Lord and remove blockages, we create a healthy spiritual environment that encourages growth
4. Realize that it is all about Jesus
Demonstrating the fruits in our lives should be the desire of every Christian, because every Christian should want more of Jesus. As the book of Acts makes so clear: “It is through Him that we live and function and have our identity; just as your own poets have said, ‘Our lineage comes from Him’” (Acts 17:28) That is why it is so important to allow Jesus to work in us. His presence in our lives becomes all-encompassing. When we need the fruit of the spirit, it is there for us because Jesus is in us.
The goal or both gifts and fruit is simple - Be more like Christ. We must return to the Bible so that it can work within us and reveal to us who we are in HIM so that we can see and fight against the shortcomings we may possess. You and I must learn our Bible so well that regardless of the circumstance, our “fruit” shines through.
As we pray and study, the Holy Spirit will begin to change us – through this, God is forming His character in us. He will help us to use our gifts to their ultimate goal, producing fruit in others.