The Biblical term for the Fruits of the Holy Spirit is a summary of nine qualities of someone living in accordance with the Holy Spirit, according to the Epistle of Galatians chapter 5
The fruits of the holy Spirit comprises of nine qualities of Jesus. Fruits take time to mature as it grows on a fertile plant. This fruit grows in spiritually healthy Christians and centers on the three major virtues of faith, hope, and love.
The fruits of the holy Spirit are love, happiness, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-discipline. Galatians 5:22-23
Those who belong to Jesus and who live for Him become more like Him. It is as if Jesus were sitting for a portrait and the Holy Spirit were painting that portrait inside us.
The display of the fruits of the holy Spirit in our lives is the concrete proof that we are being transformed into the nature of Jesus Christ. Compared with the fruits of the holy Spirit are the works of iniquity, uncrucified flesh: Immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, envy.
These evils war against the Spirit and must be put to death in the life of each believer (Galatians 5:17-21).
How To Acquire The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit
Devoting Yourself To The Lord
There are nine gifts of the Holy Spirit as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 in the bible that are available to all believers who have been baptized in the spirit.
Even though the gifts are available to all, it is generally not known how they are received so that the body of Christ can be built up. Utilize your natural gifts in service to god in obedience to his will as this is where you can have the natural meet the supernatural and receive the gift.
1. Know That The Driving Force To Release The Gifts Into Your Life Is The Desire To Serve God For The Kingdom:
Put your heart in the correct place to serve and to receive. Prayerfully enquire of God if he feels your heart is pure in the desire to receive the gifts and surrender the matter to him.
This may have to be done over a period of time depending on your closeness to god and how you personally can hear his voice.
2. Ask Jesus To Guide You To Your Path:
The moment you believe your aim is clean, ask God in prayer which of your natural gifts he desires to use. He may request you to start a bible study at home or at work or volunteer on a regular basis at church or a local community center.
If you have a talent with teenagers he may ask you to assist in a youth center.
Tell him you are willing to help and as you pray and ask of him over a period of time, wait in the stillness afterwards for a few minutes each time until he lifts up an idea for you to start using your natural talents
3. Start Working:
Once your natural talents have been identified and you have heard from god you must ensure that you are volunteering/serving in the correct place.
Having awareness that the most important aspect is serving him with your natural talents after a period of time of serving, state in prayer that you are open to receiving any one of the gifts from him.
If you have a particular one that you would prefer, it is acceptable to ask for that one first, although the choice is god’s as to which one he gives you first.
4. Keep Your Heart Clean:
Serving god in obedience to what he wants you to allow you to build up your spirit. The more devoted you are the more gifts you receive.
This is not a quick way to receive spiritual power as the power of the gifts is given to those that god trusts and who are devoted to working with him.
The instance you obtain a gift and keep being submissive and grow up your spirit, the more gifts will flourish.
5. Be Aware Of God’s Presence At All Times:
Always ensure that you are in the presence of god when operating in any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
This will ensure more speedy gifts as you will then be working with the Holy Spirit rather than merely toiling in your own or building up your own spirit which can be futile.
Fruits Of The Holy Spirit
Receiving The Fruits Of The Holy Spirit With Virtues
The fruits of the holy Spirit is love, happiness, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-discipline. Galatians 5:22-23
1. Be A Loving Person:
Paul stated in Corinthians: 13, that love is persistent, love is caring. It isn’t jealous, boastful, full of pride, doesn’t degrade others, not self-centered, not easily infuriated, and it keeps no trace of crime.
Love doesn’t derive pleasure in wickedness, but celebrates with the truth. It always defends, believes, has confidence, and always persists. To see how loving you are, try doing a self-assessment and ask yourself if you are all these things.
Are you patient? Are you kind? Do you not envy? Also one of the greatest commandments is to love others. “Greater love hath no man that this; that he lay down his life for his friend.” Jesus set the example for us of how to love by dying for us.
2. Have Joy:
It is impossible to feel perfectly happy every day. Life is difficult at times, and it has ways of making us depressed, eluding joy. Joy is more like a subdued peace or calm. It is a sensation that all things will be good no matter what transpires.
The bible declares, the joy of the lord is your power. The more you are capable to obtain joy, and not allowing yourself be unhappy, the more power you will have to handle life. Happiness and joy most times are decisions.
We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control whether or not we will let things steal our joy. Don’t let things steal your joy. Endeavor to be glad with life no matter what occurs.
3. Stay At Peace:
We also can chose to stay at peace no matter what happens. The bible says that we are not to “take offense.” we can chose to let things get to us, or we chose to not let them.
Don’t let people get under your skin. Don’t let people affect you so much. Learn to stay at peace no matter what. Recognize that God will work all things together for your good. The more you are able to trust God, the more you will be able to stay at peace.
Also there is the verse, do not be anxious for anything but in everything, by prayer and petition present your requests to God and the peace of God that transcends all knowledge will protect your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.
We are to have peace in Christ. We are to allow him guide us near still waters and reinstate our soul. god does not want us to run ourselves ragged. He wants us to rest in him, to be still and know that he is god.
The main way to truly have peace is to follow god’s commandments. The Holy Spirit will convict us when we stray and this will keep us from being able to have peace. So fear God and abide by his command and you will have his peace that exceeds all knowledge
Read Also:Ways On How To Abide In The Will Of God
4. Have Patience With Others:
Don’t hurry people. Don’t require that they do things fast etc. We are to have patience with other people even when they hurt us. We know that god is still working on all of us so this means not having unrealistic expectations of others. We are to have grace and peace with ourselves and others. The more we have patience with ourselves, the more we can with others.
Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. We need to recognize that, even though we are saved, we still battle with the flesh. None of us are perfect. When we declare that we have no iniquity, we mislead ourselves, and the truth doesn’t abide in us.
Definitely, you will commit sin that it is a reality of life, and you will then be able to have more patience with yourself. Spiritual growth is a process. Also recognize that others will sin against you. It is inevitable. But god will give you the strength to be patient with others and forgive them.
5. Be Kind:
Be polite. Say please and thank you. Don’t interrupt others when they are talking. Really, really listen to people. Don’t be loud and obnoxious. Be quiet and humble.
Kindness is the opposite of being rude. It is “to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” it is esteeming others as better than yourself. It is respecting others, valuing them, protecting their feelings.
It is being gentle with the others and not being quick to judge them.It is trying to always say things that will build that other person up. Let your discussions be filled with grace at all times Paul said. Kindness is speaking with grace to others.
It is having a soft heart. It is being compassionate with others as Jesus was. Remember to be kind to everyone you interact with today and people will see god in you.
6. Be A Good Person Overall:
Try to be good. No one can be perfectly good except for god, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still try. To be good is to follow god’s commandments as best as we can.
To be good is to be in right standing before god and others. To be good is to be above reproach. To obtain a good name, character & reputation
7. Be Faithful:
Here are some practical ways to be faithful to others: be dependable. Be on time. Stay committed to your spouse. Be committed to your friendships. Stay in touch with your parents and siblings etc.
Jesus said, Let your yes be yes. we are to do what we say we are going to do. We are to follow through on commitments. We are to not be crumbling or unenthusiastic in our obligations. We are to be like a rock or an oak tree.
The world is generally scattered and can be all over the place, but Christians are called to be firmly planted and rooted in Christ and in his word. We are to be different. We are to be faithful to others and to god.
8. Be Gentle:
Don’t be easily angered; be slow to anger, as god is. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Learn to be submissive when you need to. Be gentle with other people’s hearts and feelings; treat them the way you would want to be treated.
Gentleness is like how one must interact with a young child. There is a quote, “in order to treat everyone in your life better, picture them as a young child or an elderly person.” having this mentality would make us much more gentle with others. It would make us more gracious and kind and humble in our interactions.
To be gentle is to not be proud, not to insist on your own way. It is to be soft with others, tenderhearted and kind.
9. Have Self-Control:
Don’t believe Satan’s lies that you can’t control yourself. Any Christian with the Holy Spirit has the ability to control themselves.
Self-control is often the one that most Christians struggle with. It can range from our eating habits to the thoughts we allow ourselves to think. It can be related to activities we choose to do etc.
The key is to not let ourselves be mastered by anything. Good things can become idols when we do not have self-control with them. A good way to grow in your ability to have self-control is by fasting.
Fasting is the best way to keep your body in check and to learn to say no to your body. It trains you to not give in to every desire that you have. In 1 cor. 9:27 Paul says, i discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after i have preached to others, i myself will not be disqualified.
It is very necessary that we have mastery over ourselves and fasting can be a great way to accomplish this.
Read Also: peanut burger business
[…] Read Also: fruits of the holy spirit what are they how can we receive them […]