The Fruit of the Spirit is
the character of Christ being formed
in the life of a believer through
the work of the Holy Spirit.
Found in Galatians 5:22-23,
it describes the visible evidence of
a life controlled by the Holy Spirit.
Unlike spiritual gifts,
which are given for service,
the fruit of the Spirit is
the result of spiritual growth and transformation.
The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Galatians to correct false teaching about salvation and Christian living. In Galatians 5, he contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
This fruit is singular — it is one fruit with nine characteristics — showing the balanced, holistic work of the Spirit in a believer’s life.
Each characteristic reflects the character of Jesus and is produced by the Holy Spirit:
These qualities stand in sharp contrast to the works of the flesh listed earlier in Galatians 5.
The fruit of the Spirit shows that:
The fruit is not something believers produce by their own effort but something the Holy Spirit produces in them as they yield to Him.
The fruit of the Spirit grows as believers:
As we yield to the Spirit, He produces His fruit in our lives.
The fruit of the Spirit is the natural result of a life yielded to the Holy Spirit. It is not produced by trying harder but by abiding in Christ and walking in the Spirit. As believers grow in these nine characteristics, they become more like Jesus and more effective in their witness to the world.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.