If in my life is displayed kindness, goodness, joy, love, but I am impatient, or not gentle, etc. do I have the fruit of the Spirit?
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
If in my life is displayed kindness, goodness, joy, love, but I am impatient, or not gentle, etc. do I have the fruit of the Spirit?
thedailylily.com 
This raises the question more exactly…Is it possilbe to have SOME of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, but not all? I mean…it IS “FRUIT” and not “fruitS”, …as we have learned in our many Bible studies this year.
In His perfection, then, Holy Spirit is all these 9 things existing simultaneously. So where does that leave me ? Say, I am KIND but not PATIENT.
But shouldn’t my KINDNESS incorporate PATIENCE in my dealings in this life? If I exercise SELF-CONTROL but have no JOY in it then do I possess the FRUIT?
If the answer is ‘NO’ then I have a long road ahead toward perfecting and growing ALL these 9 characteristics or virtues. If the answer is YES is it conditional? Someone must have the answer. (Holy Spirit???)
I have a question(s) as well? Does having or owning something give you character? Does owning patience make you patient?
I looked up the meaning or “to own”. The definitions are below.
(adj.) Of or belonging to oneself or itself:
(n.) That which belongs to one:
(v.) To have or possess as property:
To have or possess as property: owns a chain of restaurants.
To have control over: For a time, enemy planes owned the skies.
To admit as being in accordance with fact, truth, or a claim; acknowledge.
Ownership: is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over property , which may be an object , land/real estate , or some other kind of property Meaning of Own: To grant; to acknowledge; to admit to be true; to confess; to recognize in a particular character
___Wikipedia Free Dictionary
So from the above definitions, unless I am missing some spritual insight which is entirely possible, it would seem that to own a virtue or have it in your life or walk means that it manifests itself in patience or whatever virtue one is speaking of. It probably must be new every morning, which comes under self-control, etc.
Sounds pretty good MG. What about having a closet full of clothes and deciding just what to wear and when? How about this closet of hope…
Colossians 3:12-16, believers are told to wear these things:
tender mercies;
kindness;
humility or self-smallness (I think this means don’t wear wrong size clothes, shoes or jewelry. Dress appropriately!
a heart of compassion
gentleness;
patience.
At our retreat this summer I read an article about just how much time one spends in their life trying to decide what to wear. I must ask myself just how much time does it take me to dress in the above? Or, did I chose clothing that made my flesh feel a little better for the day? (Brings us back to Needles blog on Sunsual fleshly desires and that is pure Lust……
This makes me think about cookbooks and foreign language tapes I have purchased and that have been collecting dust. Without using or reading the recipes or without practicing the language neither does any good for me or others. Information I own but not used or made apart of my life is of no value to me. In Psalms 1:3 and my footnotes read “… When we apply God’s wisdom, the fruit (results or by-products) we bear will be good and will receive God’s approval. Just as a tree soaks up water and bears luscious fruit, we also are to soak up God’s Word, producing actions and attitudes that honor God. To achieve anything worthwhile, we must have God’s Word in our hearts.”
If you pick up the WORD – read it and apply it to your daily life then the patience that you want will eventually become the luscious fruit it should be in your life. If you don’t understand what the WORD SAYS get someone who knows the word to explain it. It takes work to make it apart of you! In John 15: 2. 3 it talks about pruning. The footnotes read “…(1) is cutting off and (2) cutting back branches. Fruitful branches are cut back to promote growth. In other words. God must sometimes discipline us to strengthen our character and faith. But branches that don’t bear fruit are cut off at the trunk not only because they are worthless but also because they often infect the rest of the tree. People who don’t bear fruit for God or who try to block the efforts of God’s followers will be cut off from his life-giving power.
MG I think this leaves us with a lot of drawing closer to God so we see more of God’s character (100% fruitfullness) and less of ourselves in our mirrors. How? Through studying and practicing HIS word. If we fail we know God is lovingly there to discipline us so are fruit (which ever it may be) will grow nice and plump. WE JUST KEEP WORKING AND STRIVING TO KNOW JESUS.
Phillipians 4:8, Paul advises us to think on things that are:
true;
noble, or worthy of high esteem
just;
pure;
lovely
of good report
of any virtue, or excellence
worthy of praise
When I go to dress my head and comb my hair for the day I remind myself that if I don’t start with a clean head, truth, nothing else works!
Above comments by Sara and Rena look like orderly steps in proper sequence must be followed to get desired results whether dressed properly or growing a healthy tree.
In thinking along same lines as Rena’s illustration of recipes and tapes, I had been thinking that I could own a farm but that owning a farm didn’t make me a farmer. I would have to get to work plowing and planting and maintaining at the right season and in the correct way in order to yield a harvest and have a real working farm.
All good thoughts but getting divine in the heart and head vs owing a farm, cook book or clothes seems a lot harder to me.
All I can think about is…..the comment that a little boy, in Rena’s class said: “Work, work, work!”
I don’t think I have ever encountered “easy” work, and “getting divine in the heart and head”, seemingly takes daily, repetitive prayer, study, and work???
I do agree with Sara and Needles.
Part of a quote of Sara’s in ‘Lesson 3, Dressing for His Glory; Image: The Beauty of Jesus’ from Retreat ’09 keeps coming to mind…’excellence is a lifelong process…’
I think the full quote is encouraging: “We are beginning our apprenticeship in “The School of Learning” under the tutoring of the Master Teacher – Jesus. We must allow Him through the Holy Spirit to teach us that Excellence is a lifelong process and we must call to remembrance that ‘He is our source of strength.’ Now let us glory in “THe Beauty of Jesus” as we seek to reproduce His Image in us by yielding and allowing His Spirit to fill us and lead us.”
So what shall we say, then….if I do not display and act in ALL the Spirit’s Fruit then do I have the Fruit of the Spirit?
Fruit of the Spirit is Jesus. The Holy Spirit directs your life in the fruits which Jesus directs for your life as a Christian which comes through HIM. So if you don’t display a fruit ask God to help you work on that area in your life. The Holy Spirit is tireless in helping you obtain the fruit. He will send things in your life to practice it and will test to see if you got it. WORK DILIGENTLY!
MG,
You have asked, “if I do not display and act in ALL the Spirit’s Fruit then do I have the Fruit of the Spirit?”
Last Fall, in my local women’s Bible study, we did a Beth Moore study, on “Living Beyond Yourself, Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit.” At the beginning of the study book, Beth says: “The foundational truth of our 10-week series is this: ‘Christ in us not only guarantees life in Heaven but also Christ in us grants the astounding invitation to live beyond ourselves on earth.'” Beth studies each fruit of the spirit, individually, by week. In week six the fruit is “patience”. She used some scripture in Hebrews. (10: 35-36) Read with me, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Also, over in 2 Peter: 3:9, she quoted, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
So, would it be fair/correct to answer your question by saying….that if you had love, but were impatient, you do have, one of the Fruits of the Spirit? Maybe the “patient” fruit is still in “session”???? Let me reiterate the above…”You need to persevere”…”He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish”. I guess we are right back to the…work, work, work?
This reminds me of a song, from when I was a little girl:
“He’s still working on me,
to make me what I ought to be,
it took Him just a week to make the moon
and stars, the Sun and Earth,
and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and patient He must be,
He’s still working on me.”
At this point and time (open to change) I am thinking “we have the fruit of the Spirit” if we are living lives of righteousness, meaning acting in a just, moral, and ethical manner.
When I read Galatians 5 and compare the works of the flesh vs. works of the spirit, I see the word WORKS. Meaning I am doing one or the other. Therefore, I agree with you you either you have it or you don’t.
I think anyone can act kind, loving, etc. when they want to. Just watch and see how people deceive others with a wink here and blink there and a twist here and tight pants there and low cut shirt and on and on the lust of the flesh goes.
I agree with the above comments, we do need to work, work, work. We are living in a world of instant gratification which may not help us if we need work on patience. This is why it is so important to have a relationship with Jesus 24 hours a day. This will help us grow in the fruits of the Spirit. To walk with Jesus 24 hours a day, in every situation of, takes willingness, obedience, self-control, discipline, lots of prayer and it’s work. If we don’t see huge results daily, we need to remember that God is working. He is patient with us and our flaws but many times we are impatient with Him. Growing in the fruits of the Spirit is a growing process. We may naturally be stronger in one than another and this is okay. With work and focus we may improve in one of our weaker fruits. This doesn’t happen overnight and it may not happen when we think it should, we just have to stay focused and keep on working. It will happen in God’s timing, when He’s ready for you to get stronger with the “fruit of patience”. If He gave it to us as soon as we asked for it, we wouldn’t understand it or appreciate it as well as if we had to work for it. We will work all our lives trying to perfect these nine fruits of the Spirit. We will always have a few that comes easier to us than others. Our weaker fruits will improve over years of work but they may never get to where we think they should be. This is okay. That’s why we have a body of God’s people (churches, study groups, the lilies, ect….) We are all in a big basket with all these beautiful fruits. If we are to use on of our weaker fruits for a situation, we can ask another in the basket for help. They may be very strong were we are weaker. That’s is the beauty of God’s children, we are not alone.
I agree Chickenfarmer, our relationship with Our Lord should be 24/7. What other relationship could compare with the love that He has for us? It is fulfilling, rewarding and joyful plus abundance more.
Lilies, this is a good Bible study. I read in Eph.5:9,” For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and TRUTH”…proving what is acceptable to the Lord….and have no fellowship with the WORKS of darkness but rather REPROVE them for it is a SHAME to even to SPEAK of those things that are done in secret.” And the notes say “we must forever be noting and discerning what IS and what IS NOT acceptable to the Lord” And then I say, when we know what is NOT ACCEPTABLE…DON’T DO THAT WORK!!! That is where self-control comes in. Self-control of the tongue. Self-control of the mind. Self-control of our own bodies.
How can we do it 24/7…..walk in the Spirit. How to walk in the Spirit?
Make your body and mind & heart conform to the WORD of GOD.