FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – THREE DIMENSIONS

For the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT is in all goodness and righteousness and truth – Ephesians 5:9

The nine-fold fruit of the Spirit represents the virtues of Jesus. God the Father wants to impart the nine unique expressions of His Spirit into our personalities. By His Spirit, God is taking us through the process of molding, shaping, and transforming into the image of His Son Jesus Christ (Rom.8:29). The fruit of the Spirit describes the quality of Christian life which is produced by the practice of ‘walking in the Spirit’: “…Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Gal.5:16).

The metaphor of ‘walking’ derives from the Old Testament: “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly…” (Psa.1:1a). God told Abraham: “…I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless” (Gen.17:1b). We also are commanded to “walk in love” and “walk as children of light” (Eph.5: 2, 8). Walking in the Spirit describes our daily, consistent, personal, and practical communion with God. Through this, His Spirit produces spiritual growth and fruitfulness, a harvest of Christ-like qualities in three dimensions of our relationships: upward, outward, and inward.

The first dimension is your upward relationship with God, which embraces essentially the first set of virtues – love, joy, and peace. The second dimension is your outward relationship with others. Patience, kindness, and goodness will distinguish you as one whose public life is a commendation of what you profess to be – a Christian, a new creation in Christ! The third dimension is your inward, personal life, which should be a rich blend of faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These cover the threefold scope of human activity and reflect the standard of life by those whose conduct is shaped by the Spirit.

This harvest of virtues will only be realised if the ground is well ploughed over, weeds removed, and the soil cleared of impurities. It demands that the flesh and Self be brought to the cross and crucified with Christ, until no room is left for the gratifying of unseemly desires, unholy aspirations, and unhealthy ambitions which compete with the Kingly control of Jesus in our lives. The King is shaping your life to reflect His Glory. Let Him have His way by the workings of His Spirit.