Every born-again believer should display the fruit of the Spirit. They can be found in Galatians 5:22-26. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Love – According to 1 Corinthians 13 love is the greatest quality. Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” The type of love being discussed here is respectfulness and a self-sacrificial service towards others. Jesus said we ought to love our enemies, meaning we should do right by them. Do you have love for God’s creation? Do you truly love people?

Joy – We have joy in knowing our salvation is sure and steadfastly grounded in Christ. Jesus said in John 15:11, ““These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” The joy mentioned here is much more than a mere happiness. Christian joy goes much deeper. Do you have true Christian joy?

Peace – The Christian is no longer at war with God. Due to God’s grace sinners have peace with God by being reconciled to the Father through the Son, the Prince of Peace. Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Do you have that peace that passes all understanding?

Long-suffering – The Christian should display patience. The Christian is not short tempered and quick to react. The Christian also bears suffering in the spirit of long-suffering. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:2, “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.” Are you a long-suffering believer?

Kindness – The fruit of kindness means the Christian should display a nature of generosity and sympathy to others. Christians ought to have benevolence towards others. A tender concern for souls is a fruit of the Spirit. 2 Timothy 2:24 reads, “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient.” Do you show the kindness being expressed here?

Goodness – The child of God has a mind-set of working for the benefit of others. We ought to have moral excellence and a good virtue. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 says, “Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power.” Is goodness part of your life?

Faithfulness – The attribute of commitment should also be present in the life of a Christian. The Christian should be trustworthy and loyal. God is faithful and He instils this virtue in His children. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 says, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” Are you faithful?

Gentleness – We should have a gentle spirit to allow others to grow in grace and to see their need for salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” The child of God is humble. Do you have gentleness?

Self-control – The last of the fruits of the spirit deals with our ability to exercise discipline. When we are born again we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. This allows us to resist the power of the flesh and the sin nature that every Christian battles against. The Holy Spirit protects us against sin. Christians should have the traits of a godly character. Peter wrote, “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins” (2 Peter 1:5-9). Do you have self-control?

By Nathan A. Hughes