“What is the fruit of the Holy Spirit?”……Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

This is one of the most beloved passages in the Bible…But the "Fruit of the Holy Spirit” has also been misinterpreted by many as characteristics that believers should somehow manufacture in their lives. …But the key to understanding these qualities is in the name – "Fruit"

“Fruit” is the natural result of growth. …And “of the Spirit” explains exactly Who causes that growth-it's not our striving or straining, but the power of the Holy Spirit.…No amount of human toil or determination can produce spiritual fruit, I's the Spirit's influence in a yielded heart that can work miracles.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit's presence in the life of a Christian.

The Bible makes it clear that everyone receives the Holy Spirit the moment he or she believes in Jesus Christ

Romans 8:9…9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)…1 Corinthians 12:13…13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,[a] some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.[]

Ephesians 1:13-14

13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own[a] by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

One of the primary purposes of the Holy Spirit coming into a Christian’s life is to change that life.

It is the Holy Spirit’s job to conform us to the image of Christ, making us more like Him.……The fruit of the Holy Spirit is in direct contrast with the acts of the sinful nature in Galatians 5:19-21

"19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God."

This passage describes all people, to varying degrees, when they do not know Christ and therefore are not under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Our sinful flesh produces certain types of fruit that reflect our nature, and the Holy Spirit produces types of fruit that reflect His nature.……The Christian life is a battle of the sinful flesh against the new nature given by Christ

2 Corinthians 5:17…17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

As fallen human beings, we are still trapped in a body that desires sinful things…Romans 7:14-25…Struggling with Sin

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] I want to do what is right, but I can't. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

21 I have discovered this principle of life-that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God's law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power[] within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit producing His fruit in us and we have the Holy Spirit’s power available to conquer the acts of the sinful nature …Philippians 4:13…3 For I can do everything through Christ,[a] who gives me strength.…A Christian will never be completely victorious by always under all circumstances demonstrating the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

It is one of the main purposes of the Christian life, though, to progressively allow the Holy Spirit to produce more and more of His fruit in our lives-and to allow the Holy Spirit to conquer the opposing sinful desires.

The fruit of the Spirit is what God desires our lives to exhibit and, with the Holy Spirit’s help, it is possible!

…What kind of life do you want? Jesus makes a promise to us in

John 10:10: "I come that they have life and have it to the full."

We can claim that promise by living life in the Spirit.

Life is a battle between our sinful nature and our spiritual nature. …Paul teaches us a great lesson in

Galatians 6:7,8"People harvest only what they plant. If they plant to satisfy their sinful selves, their sinful selves will bring them ruin. …But if they plant to please the Spirit, they will receive eternal life from the Spirit."

Think of yourself as a farmer and your life as a crop. …What do you want to grow in your life?

If we sow seeds of selfish desires, we grow a crop that reflects that.

Listen to Paul describe that difference between the two kinds of lifestyles in Galatians 5: "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. …Anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

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!"

What kind of crops do you want to harvest in your life? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and help you to sow according to His way. He wants to bless your life and produce good fruit. You just need to trust and obey Him.