The Book of Galatians: Fruit Series!

Part 1

Bearing fruit and the fruit of the Spirit

These lessons are centered around bearing fruit and understanding the fruit of the Spirit. God’s attributes, should manifest in our lives as believers. The attributes of God and the fruit of the Spirit are related concepts in Christianity, but distinct in their focus. The attributes of God describe God's inherent qualities, while the fruit of the Spirit are the characteristics that manifest in believers' lives as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 1:10- So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Note: Paul addresses probably the most commonly discussed principle of the NT for believers. He wants to draw a clear connection between knowledge of spiritual matters and the fruit that knowledge produces.

Good fruit is that which is produced by the Holy Spirit…………

Galatians 5:22-23- 22-But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, 23-gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.

The more we allow the Holy Spirit free rein in our lives, the more this fruit is evident. Jesus told His followers, “I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit; fruit that will last,” (John 15:16). Righteous fruit has eternal benefit.

Jesus told us clearly what we must do to bear good fruit. He said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing,” (John 15:4-5).

Galatians 5:16- But I say walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the flesh.

Note: A branch must stay firmly attached to the trunk to stay alive. As disciples of Christ, we must stay firmly connected to Him to remain spiritually productive. A branch draws strength, nourishment, protection, and energy from the vine. If it is broken off, it quickly dies and becomes unfruitful. When we neglect our spiritual life, ignore the Word of God, skimp on prayer, and withhold areas of our lives from the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit, we are like a branch broken off the vine. Our lives become fruitless. We need daily surrender, daily communication, and daily connection with the Holy Spirit in order to “walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”

The Kingdom of God is about bearing fruit………..

John 15 overflows with the importance of bearing fruit. The word fruit appears nine times in just sixteen verses. John 15:2 and 6 give strong warnings about the dangers of not bearing fruit. In addition, Jesus stresses that those who bear fruit are pruned and cleaned by the Word of God so that they produce more fruit. Jesus emphasizes a progression of  fruit, more fruit, and much fruit;  and finally fruit that remains (15:16).

Besides this, Jesus holds up fruit-bearing as a prerequisite for glorifying God, which is the chief end of man. If we want to live as Jesus’ disciples, we must bear fruit (15:8). I’m not sure John 15 could be clearer. Bearing fruit is essential to the Christian life.

Bearing and Producing

• Bearing Fruit:

This phrase emphasizes the natural outcome or result of being connected to Christ, like a branch bearing fruit on a vine. It suggests a life that is actively producing good works and demonstrating the qualities of Christ's character, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

• Producing Fruit:

This phrase highlights the active role believers have in demonstrating their faith and allowing God's work to manifest through their lives. It suggests a conscious effort to be faithful, obedient, and to live in accordance with God's will, ultimately leading to a life that produces good fruit. 

Our responsibility before God is to be “faithful with little” so that He can trust us with much.

Part 2

This lesson will focus on how Ruth demonstrated her strong character and faith. This lesson serves as an example of how Ruth was fruitful in her life.

Keep this thought in mind:

God’s attributes should manifest in our lives as believers; the attributes of God and the fruit of the Spirit are related concepts in Christianity, but distinct in their focus. The attributes of God describe God's inherent qualities, while the fruit of the Spirit are the characteristics that manifest in believers' lives as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Loyalty and Goodness

Ruth 1:16-18- ¹⁶ But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” ¹⁸ And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Note: The Book of Ruth was written to the Israelites. It teaches that genuine love at times may require uncompromising sacrifice. Regardless of our lot in life, we can live according to the precepts of God. Genuine love and kindness will be rewarded. God abundantly blesses those who seek to live obedient lives.

Taking a closer look at the fruit of the Spirit and how it correlates with Ruth, we see the Book of Ruth provides a compelling example of the fruit of the Spirit, particularly kindness and goodness, as demonstrated in Ruth's unwavering loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Ruth's devotion and the selfless acts she performs, like gleaning in Boaz's field, highlight these qualities, illustrating how the Spirit can empower individuals to live out Christian values. 

Commitment in the Bible primarily refers to total dedication and trust in God. It’s about surrendering one's will and seeking God's guidance in all aspects of life, recognizing His sovereignty and your human limitations. This commitment is also about persevering in faith and obedience, even in the face of challenges, and actively promoting God's good and well-being. 

Ruth's unwavering commitment to Naomi is a key aspect of her fruitfulness. She chooses to leave her own homeland and family to care for Naomi, promising to be with her, “wherever you go". This commitment demonstrates her loyalty and selfless nature.

Parallels with the Holy Spirit…………………

The actions of Ruth and Boaz, driven by love and compassion, parallel the workings of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, enabling them to live out the fruits of the Spirit. 

Note: Good works are the fruit, consequence, and evidence of true faith (Eph. 2:8-10).

1.     If I am born of the Spirit, I bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

 2.   If Christ is in me, my life bears a resemblance to Christ.

3.     If I am I Christ, I am a new creature in him (2 Cor. 5:17).

A display of God’s loving-kindness………………….

We are sojourners born into a sinful world, like Ruth. Left there, we will spiritually starve and remain dead in our sins. God’s loving-kindness invites us to come home to Him. Like Boaz, He redeems us through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. He pays the price for us to belong to Him and become His bride.

Ruth exemplified the fruit of the Spirit through her strong faith, love for Naomi, and dedication to God. She showed love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control in her actions and choices.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BE CONSECRATED TO GOD IF YOU ARE NOT CONSECRATED TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD. RUTH DEVOTED HERSELF TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

Part 3

This lesson will focus on bearing fruit. It is sufficient to ask ourselves if we are bearing the right fruit. It is also sufficient to ask ourselves if the fruit we are bearing is of the will of the Father (true faith) or if we are doing things in our own power (false faith).

Keep this thought in mind:

God’s attributes should manifest in our lives as believers; the attributes of God and the fruit of the Spirit are related concepts in Christianity, but distinct in their focus. The attributes of God describe God's inherent qualities, while the fruit of the Spirit are the characteristics that manifest in believers' lives as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Bearing Fruit

The Bible teaches us that there are two types of fruit that our lives can bear: fruit that is of the Holy Spirit and fruit that comes from the flesh, or our sinful desires. Since we are naturally sinful, we can easily bear the things that Galatians lists such as idolatry, jealousy, and fits of anger. We have to rely on God to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which includes attributes like love, peace, patience, and kindness. These fruits that come from the Holy Spirit are visible evidence of our relationship with Christ and His work in our lives. Jesus teaches us in the book of John, (15:4-5) that the key to bearing this good fruit is to stay close to Him and that apart from Him we will not be able to accomplish our goal.

The grace of righteousness…………..

Note: By grace, God offers the righteousness of Christ to all who put their trust in Him. For all who believe, all who have faith in Him, the merit of Christ is reckoned to their account.

Does this exclude good works in the life of the believer?

By no means. Our justification is always unto good works. Though no merit ever proceeds from our works, either those done before our conversion or those done afterward, good works are a necessary fruit of true faith.

Necessary fruit?

Good works are not necessary for us to earn our justification. They are never the grounds of our justification. They are necessary in a more restricted sense. They are necessary to true faith. If a person claims to have faith yet brings forth no fruit of obedience, it is proof positive that the claim to faith is a false claim. True faith inevitably and necessarily bears fruit. The absence of fruit indicates the absence of faith.

We are not justified by the fruit of our faith. We are justified by the fruit of Christ’s merit. We receive His merit only by faith, but it is only by true faith that we receive His merit, and all true faith yields true fruit.

Note:  One counterfeit to bearing good fruit is pretense. We can become experts at the routines, the lingo, and “acting Christian,” while experiencing no real power and bearing no eternal fruit. Our hearts remain self-centered, angry, and joyless even while we go through the motions of serving God. We can easily slip into the sin of the Pharisees of Jesus’ day in judging ourselves by how we think we appear to others and neglecting that secret place of the heart where all good fruit germinates. When we love, desire, pursue, and fear the same things that the rest of the world does, we are not abiding in Christ, even though our lives may be filled with church-related activity, and, often, we don’t realize that we are living fruitless lives.

Prayer and repentance……..

When John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2), he also said, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (v. 8). Part of “living in the Kingdom” of having a relationship with God involves bearing fruit. This requires action, but it is action that results from being close to God and knowing what He desires. It comes from an intimate, sensitive connection to God.

Jesus said, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

The condition of our heart, either good or bad, will determine the fruit that we bear.

Part 4

We come to the end of the fruit series. This lesson will explain the fruit as a manifestation of faith.

Remember, God’s attributes should manifest in our lives as believers; the attributes of God and the fruit of the Spirit are related concepts in Christianity, but distinct in their focus. The attributes of God describe God's inherent qualities, while the fruit of the Spirit are the characteristics that manifest in believers' lives as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

A Manifestation of Faith

Note: "bearing fruit" metaphorically represents the production of good works, positive character traits, and spiritual growth, often used to describe the impact of a Christian's life. It's not just about physical fruit, but about the manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s influence in a believer's life, leading to love, joy and peace. The concept is closely tied to Jesus’s teachings in John chapter 15, where he uses the analogy of a vine and its branches to illustrate the need to remain in Him to bear fruit. 

Different Types of Fruit: 

Fruit of the Spirit:

This refers to the positive character traits that are produced by the Holy Spirit, including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). 

Fruit of good works:

This can involve serving others, helping those in need, spreading the gospel, and other actions that reflect a life of faith (Matthew 7:16-20). 

Fruit of Answered Prayer:

Jesus links asking and receiving with bearing fruit, suggesting that answered prayers are a form of fruit (John 15:7-8). 

Fruit of Eternal Life:

This refers to the positive influence a believer has on others, potentially leading them to Christ (John 4:36). 

Note: Bearing fruit brings numerous benefits, including a deeper spiritual life, increased love and compassion, and a more fulfilling relationship with God. It also transforms one's character, making them more like Jesus and enabling them to better serve others and witness to the world. 

To bear fruit, we must spend time learning what pleases God as Ephesians 5:10 tells us. We can do this by regularly spending time in God’s Word and in prayer. The more time we spend meditating and focusing on the things of God, the more we will become like Him. Then, we will be bearers of good fruit that brings glory to God. We must also, at times, actively flee from the desires of our human, sinful nature that can cause us to bear sinful fruit. We must flee from the lusts of the flesh that we read about in Galatians 5:19-21 so that we do not fall into temptation and bear harmful, sinful fruit. Bearing good fruit is something we become better at as we continue to grow in Christ and allow Him to transform our hearts and minds to be more like Him and less like the world.

In Christianity, the term "fruit of faith" refers to the tangible actions and character traits that demonstrate a believer's faith in God. These fruits are not just passive expressions of belief, but active manifestations of God's Spirit working within a believer's life.

The Bible teaches that faith will manifest itself in three ways. It will manifest itself in doctrine in what you believe. It will manifest itself in worship, your communion with God and the fellowship of the church. It will manifest itself in morality, in the way you live and behave. The Bible also teaches that faith does not end with trust in Christ for your salvation. Faith continues. Faith grows. The fruit that we bear is a manifestation of the Spirit at work in us, our faith is the deed as we occupy a fruitful life.

The fruit you bear is based on the intimacy you have with Christ.