You’ll notice in the contrast between the two lists, Paul spoke of the "deeds" of the flesh and the "fruit" of the Spirit. Have you ever wondered why he didn’t refer to the items on the Spirit side as "deeds of the Spirit?"

Lisa was a bride to be and a dedicated Christian. Long before a young man proposed marriage to her she had made up her mind that she wanted to be faithful to God in all of her life. This had included her dating, her courtship, and now she wanted it to include her wedding.

As most women will tell you, planning a wedding can be a stressful time. Lisa’s was no exception. As the time drew near, it seemed like all of the wheels were falling off of her plans. An employee at the bridal shop who had taken her order for bridesmaid dresses totally messed up the instructions. Then another employee, trying to straighten things out, lost the copy of the original order. A third lady took over and mixed up the sizes of the dresses, got the number of them wrong, and lost the information about what had been paid. Lisa’s dreams of the "perfect wedding" were rapidly becoming a nightmare.

But this young Christian woman was determined to handle the situation in a way that God would approve. She prayed that her dealings with the people at the bridal shop might somehow be a good testimony of Jesus Christ.

Another manager of the bridal store, unaware of the whole situation, called Lisa and tried to shift the blame onto here for the problems. In the face of this latest issue, this young bride-to-be remained calm. She patiently explained the misunderstandings to the manager. She was extending grace in a situation that would have had most people yelling. The interaction gave her an opportunity to speak of her faith in Christ to the woman on the other end of the telephone line.

Some time later, after the wedding (which she did survive!) Lisa had an opportunity to meet one of the bridal workers outside of the shop. "You’re that Christian!" the woman said. "My co-workers still talk about you. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to tell them about Jesus."

I have a question for you. Was Lisa’s behavior in this difficult situation an exception or should the way she handled it be the norm among Christians?

From Paul’s words in Galatians 5:16-24 I gather that responses like Lisa’s ought to be the norm among us. That’s where we’ll be spending our time this morning - Galatians 5:16-24. Most of you will recognize the passage once we’ve read it.

Situations like the one in Lisa’s story are ripe for responding according to the flesh. "Enmity, strife, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions" too often find a perfect home in the circumstances I described – even among Christians. Yet in Lisa’s case, the fruit of the Spirit prevailed to a good outcome.

I’m starting a series this morning that I’ve called You Can Do It! Part 1, this morning’s message is called, "You Can Be a Fruitful Christian." Lord willing, we’ll pursue this topic in the coming weeks.

I was tempted to launch into a full explanation of this passage. We don’t have time for that this morning. I have chosen instead to limit our consideration of it to a single issue. You’ll notice in the contrast between the two lists, Paul spoke of the "deeds" of the flesh and the "fruit" of the Spirit. Have you ever wondered why he didn’t refer to the items on the Spirit side as "deeds of the Spirit?" It seems to me that since he had already said "deeds of the flesh" in this contrast, he would have said "deeds of the Spirit." Instead he used a word that was very different. He used the word "fruit." "The fruit of the Spirit is…."

One thing I have learned for certain in the many years I have studied this book is that God chooses His words very carefully.

"Every word of God is tested," the Bible says in Proverbs 30:5.

The writings of the apostles of Jesus, according to 1 Corinthians 2:13, combine "spiritual thoughts with spiritual words."

Every word of the Bible is significant. So why did Paul choose the word "fruit" to describe this well-known list of character qualities? A correct answer to that question might give us some insight into how you and I can have more of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. While I cannot point to a specific passage that tells us the reason for Paul’s choice of words here, I don’t think it is hard to figure out. One reason for Paul’s choice of the word "fruit" might be what we could call:

Fruit on the tree authenticates the health and well-being of the tree. It takes a healthy, living tree to produce an abundance of good fruit. A dead tree does not produce any fruit. A sickly tree does not produce good fruit.

A successful orchard manager must see to the health of his trees. Diseased trees, water deprived trees, trees growing in places where there are few nutrients in the soil are instantly spotted their bad fruit.

A Bible school teacher once told the account of two boys who were brothers. The two would sometimes get into trouble and be sent to their room as punishment. But the penalty was never very effective because growing just outside their bedroom was a bit fruit tree. Whenever they were in trouble and exiled to their room they would simply slide open the window, crawl out onto the roof and into the branches of the tree. Then they would climb down, run across the yard, over the fence, and into the fields to play ball with their friends. No one ever knew they were gone. Or at least that is what they thought.

One day the kids heard their dad say to their mom, "You know that old tree beside the house hasn’t had any fruit on it for years. Tomorrow morning I’m going to cut it down."

Uh oh! Their freedom was about to go away. They needed a plan! That night the boys went to bed early, gathered all their money, went out the window, down the tree, and into town. There they bought all the apples they could afford along with some dark colored string. That night after their parents had gone to bed they tied the apples in the branches of that tree as far up as they could reach. Then they went to bed to wait for their father to get up in the morning.

The next morning their dad, who had a bit more sense than his boys thought, got up and went outside. He stayed out for a bit, them came back into the house and announced in a voice that could be heard upstairs in the boys’ room, "Mary! Mary! It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen! That tree that hasn’t borne fruit for years is absolutely covered with big, red, juicy apples! I can’t believe it, especially since it’s a pear tree!"

The presence of real fruit is an indicator of life and health. The absence of fruit means that there is a serious problem.

Jesus said in John 15:8, "By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples."

Fruit is an authenticator of spiritual health and life. A second reason Paul may have chosen the word "fruit" is what we could call:

Fruit is attractive. Many table decorations and centerpieces are made around the theme of fruit. A lot of wallpaper is printed with images of fruit. The common illustration of the "horn of plenty" is a cone shaped basket with all kinds of fruit spilling out, signifying prosperity and bountiful harvest. Fruit is pleasing to the eye. Bright colors like reds and yellows and oranges are common. The produce section of modern supermarket, stocked with its overflowing bins of fruit in season, is often the most colorful part of a modern grocery store. Fruit is pleasant smelling and pleasing to the taste. I don’t think I have ever heard anyone say, "I think fruit is ugly" or "I think fruit is detestable." Nearly universally, fruit is a symbol of things attractive and desirable.

Someone who exhibits these qualities like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. in his or her life is attractive, whether they are physically beautiful or not. Even the enemies of faith have a hard time arguing with these qualities seen in the life of a Christian. Paul says in verse 23, "against such things there is no law." Why would there be? People with these traits make the best friends, the best employees, the best citizens, the best neighbors, the best leaders. Someone who exhibits these qualities is someone with whom you dads can trust your daughters. Someone with these qualities will usually not lack friends because he is she will be a "people magnet."

Most kinds of fruit around the world contain the seeds of the trees that produced them. You cut open a peach and right in the middle is a large seed. People are attracted by the fruit of the tree. They pick it up and take it with them and when they do, they pick up the seed as well. It is the quality then, that helps broadcast the seed. Likewise, the fruit of the Spirit is often the way the seed is broadcast. The message of the gospel travels best when it is wrapped up in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. People sometimes suppress the message and resist it. But they have a much harder time resisting a person or a life full of the fruit of the Spirit.

In the case of Lisa and her wedding woes, people who probably would not have been interested in a Bible study were still talking favorably about her faith after the wedding was over. The "attraction factor" may have been the reason for Paul’s choice of the word "fruit." Another reason may have been what we could call:

It is fairly common for a new Christian to take a look at this list of the fruit of the Spirit and think, "That’s all fine and good but my life doesn’t resemble those things. I still lose my temper. I still quarrel when I don’t get my way. I’m quick to take sides in an argument rather than try to work things out. I still find myself led along by sensual things. Maybe there’s no hope for me. How come I don’t have those things?"

Perhaps you’ve heard that old story of the man touring Europe with an interest in the birthplaces of famous people. He came into one picturesque village and asked, "Were there any great men born in this village?" A local who heard the man’s question responded, "Nope - only babies."

Christians are not born with the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. They are born only with the potential for these things. Note that Paul didn’t say that the gifts of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, etc., as though they are given to us all at once. He said fruit of the Spirit. Trees don’t bear fruit overnight. Many trees must grow for several years before they begin to show their first fruit.

God understands that producing the Spirit’s fruit in your life will take some time. He is patient. He knows that if you are truly His and are faithful to Him and are growing day by day, in time you will have fruit. He also knows that some trees produce fruit more quickly than others and that some bear more fruit than others.

Of course, looking at this from a different angle, in time there should be fruit. If a tree goes on and on year after year with no fruit then something is wrong.

"Dear God, please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my sister and my brother and my doggy and me," prayed the little boy as he was getting ready for bed. "Oh, and please take care of yourself, God. If anything happens to you, we’re gonna be in a big mess!"

Of course nothing is going to happen to God. He can take care of Himself. The little boy’s fears were unnecessary. But there is another way we can be in a big mess. If our life is still fruitless, it could be that we don’t really belong to God and therefore we don’t possess His Spirit.

If we have not obeyed the gospel (See 2 Thessalonians 1:8 for this terminology) then we don’t belong to God and we don’t possess His Spirit. Without the presence of His Spirit our lives will be fruitless.

Peter told the Jews on Pentecost in Acts 2:38, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

We obey the gospel when we come to believe the message of the gospel (like the Jews on Pentecost did) and follow Peter’s instructions. We repent and are baptized for the forgiveness of our sins. If we do our part, God does His part. He gives us the gift of His Spirit.

There are several ways to mess things up though. First, we might not have believed. A starting point for all of us if we find a lack of fruit in our lives is to ask, "Do I truly believe the message of the gospel?" Maybe we’re still sitting there arguing down the things we read about in the Bible, unwilling to accept what God’s Word says. We shouldn’t expect the Spirit of God to do a work in us if we refuse to honor His Word.

Second, we might not have repented. To repent is to make the decision to turn away from sin and turn toward God. We decide that we are not going to continue living like we have been living. We’re going to do all we can to put sinning behind us. Of course no one lives perfectly, but the desire to do so ought to be in us.

Third, we might not have been scripturally baptized. People avoid baptism and are confused about it for many reasons. Some don’t believe it is necessary. Some believe it is a work of human merit that has nothing to do with salvation. (All I can say to is that someone should have told Christ and the apostles about it because they connect it up as a necessity for salvation.) Some believe that baptism does it all so they were baptized as by their parents as infants before they could make any decision for themselves about faith and repentance. Or perhaps they were baptized as adults believing that there is something magical in the water itself. Some believe that it is OK to substitute other things for baptism. Bible baptism is immersion in water. It is not sprinkling. It is not pouring. But you don’t have to just accept my word for it. Study it out for yourself. If the Bible commands us to be immersed and we decide that something less than that is OK, can we expect God to cooperate with us and give us His blessings?

If you have a teenager who is driving age and you tell him as you hand him the car keys, "I expect you to do two things. I want you to fill up the gas tank before you come home and I want to be home by 11 o’clock." You expect him to do what you say, right? If he returns home an hour late but with a full tank of gas are you going to say he did what you told him? No. If he returns home on time but the tank is empty are you going to reward them with the keys the next time he wants to use the car? I don’t think so. Likewise, if God has clearly told us what to do to receive salvation and the gift of His Spirit, can we blame Him for not fulfilling His promise if we only do part of what He says?

Hebrews 5:9 says that Jesus "became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation."

Acts 5:32 says, "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."

If, in time, there is no fruit of the Spirit in your life, it is good to ask why. Then get the issue resolved so you can start growing as God would have you grow.

Fruit production takes time, but in time the fruit will be present more and more if the Spirit is present.

The authentication factor, the attraction factor, the duration factor… A fourth reason Paul may have used the word "fruit" is what we could call:

Since Paul called these qualities "the fruit of the Spirit," does this mean that the Spirit is solely responsible for their production in our lives? Do we have no part in their production?

We’ve already seen that we have a part in obeying the gospel. But is there more we must do? Before giving our opinions, let’s look to the Bible for the answer.

Our text says, "The fruit of the Spirit is love…." Is love something that comes automatically, solely through the work of the Spirit or do we have a part? The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:1 (right after the famous "love chapter") "Pursue love…." Does that sound like we have no part in the production of love in our lives?

Our text in Galatians says, "The fruit of the Spirit is… peace…." Does peace come solely through the work of the Spirit or do we have a part? Heb 12:14 tells us to "Pursue peace with all men…."

Paul told Timothy 1 Timothy 6:11 to "…pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness." Note the parallels with the things mentioned in Galatians 5.

He told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:22 to "…pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace…."

The production of the fruit of the Spirit is the result of collaboration between us and God. An orchard manager must plant the trees, fertilize them, water them, prune them, spray them to keep the bugs away, and probably a lot of other things I don’t recognize because I’m not a farmer. Yet who causes the growth? Who provides the water and the sunshine and the nutrients in the soil and the miracle of the living plant? The farmer cannot produce life. He can manage it but he cannot make it.

Fruit production requires collaboration – a partnership between us and God. With God’s spirit in us, we pursue the production of fruit. We make sure out lives are planted in the rich soil of involvement in His church. We position ourselves to receive all of the sun and nutrients of His word so we can grow. We watch out for the "bugs" of sin that can attack our trunks and branches and render us fruitless. We apply God’s counter measures to eradicate the effects of the sin when it attacks us. We submit to God’s pruning and fertilizing.

"Pruning" is when He lops off those things that hinder our growth. Pruning is hard because it usually hurts! It removes a lot of fruitless growth and leaves only those branches through which the Spirit’s work can flow to produce fruit.

"Fertilizing" is similar, perhaps. Have you ever heard the statement, "I prayed for patience and God sent me a bunch of troubles?" That is more than a funny statement. Adversity in or lives is a type of fertilizer that makes us grow and produce fruit. That’s what David was talking about in Psalm 119:67 when he said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word."

Authentication, attraction, duration, and collaboration – all these things are more clearly understood by Paul’s use of the word "fruit."

You may not be planning the perfect wedding like Lisa in our opening story. But you will have ample opportunity to respond to the stresses and events of your life and show people what you really are. Will it be the deeds of the flesh that come to the surface, or the fruit of the Spirit? The determining factor will be you and the choices you have made.

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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