The Fruit of the Spirit

As the Spirit works in the life of the believer, the most clear evidence of that work is the fruit that will be produced in the person’s life. Paul describes the fruit in Galatians 5:22-23 as, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” All of these are attributes which can be observed in the life of a believer as he or she interacts with others. Jesus, in John 13:35, said, “ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love, being one of the fruits of the Spirit, is an outward manifestation of the work of the Spirit, and therefore evidence to believers and unbelievers that we are Christians. We can also see the evidence of the Spirit inside a believer by how they demonstrate the empowering of the Spirit. Are they serving? Are they sharing the gospel? Are they making disciples? Are they bearing witness to Jesus Christ? We will also see obedience. In John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In 1 John 3:9 John writes, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” So if we have the Spirit in us sanctifying us, we will sin less and less over time. We will never be entirely sinless (1 Jn 1:8) in this life, but the Spirit will help us overcome temptation more and more as we grow. Peter demonstrates the link between the presence of the Spirit and the life of obedience in Acts 5:32 when he says, “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”