But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. (Galatians 5:22-24, NLT)
In order for a tree to produce fruit in its season that is tender in its consistency, luscious and delicious in its taste, vibrant in its coloration and satisfying in the eating; there must be a gathering in of the days occurring in the season. In the gathering of the days, the tree must take in the awakening and renewal of life in the heady pollination days. It must pull in moisture through its leaves and roots on both generous days of falling rain drops and days of the soft blanketing of the dew in the dawn. It must take in the warmth of sunny afternoons for growth to develop out from the core to build bulk and substance. The season is completed as the time in the days both sustains and embodies the fruit of the days in its ripen and completed purpose.
The Spirit of God creates and gives us new life as fruit in the seasons of our living. We are recreated in a new life in the Holy Spirit by an awakening of our spirit to the work of God in us. The days of our living in the Spirit must pull in the moisture of God’s purposeful direction in teaching and conviction. We must let the warmth of the light of the Spirit grow out from the core of our being as we become full of the substance of the Spirit. The days of our being sustained and embodied by the Spirit will then be gathered together to produce a ripened fruit that is vibrant, tender, wonderful and satisfying.
The “Fruit of the Spirit” is not instantly produced nor does it happen by our human efforts but the “Fruit of the Spirit,” occurs as the days of our lives are prayerfully yielded to the transforming change and growth the Holy Spirit creates and crafts over the seasons in our living. All of our days are preciously given by the grace of our Savior. Yet for the fruit produced as the result of all our days to be the “Fruit of the Spirit,” our days must be yielded to the Holy Spirit’s directing and changing our living in each day as we die to our own selfish natures. There can be no greater legacy of our living out the days of our lives than for those days to be as trees; full and heavy in their seasons with the “Fruit of the Spirit.”
Suggested Reading … Galatians 5
