The Fruits of the Spirit

John 15:2 - Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:8 - Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Fruit trees are fruit trees long before they bear fruit. Fruit comes after the tree has been planted, then grows and matures to a certain degree before fruit ever appears. Then fruit comes. So it is with fruitful Christians. Even though our carnal nature is instantly changed when we are born again of God’s Spirit, even though we’ve entered into a whole new world and are part of the Kingdom of God; fruit takes time to develop. Fleshly sins and desires of the flesh have melted away, but there remains the need for inward changes that are not so obvious; things concerning integrity, attitudes and character. These are revealed through the fruits of the Spirit, or I could just as easily say the fruits produced in us through following the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. If we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our all of our ways then the end result will be it’s fruit produced in us. The fruits of the Spirit are listed in Galatians 5; 22 & 23, 1 Timothy 6:11 and 2 Peter 1: 5, and they are; love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, righteousness, godliness, patience, virtue and knowledge. “If these things be in you and abound”, says 2 Peter 1:8, “they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

God wants us all to be involved in spreading the gospel in whatever way we can. He wants us to go to those unknowingly lost in the kingdom of darkness and bring them into His kingdom. He calls various people into the ministry and gives gifts of some kind to all of us for the furtherance of His kingdom and to gain the souls of man for Him. To do this we must speak the truth concerning His Word in a world full of deception. But just speaking the truths of God’s word is insufficient. We must be fruitful! “Be fruitful, and multiply” is what God told his creation. Being fruitful is also taught by the Lord in the New Testament and the development of us bearing fruit is one of the main purposes of the indwelling Holy Spirit!
Since it is the fruit that bears the seeds of reproduction, it is only when we bear fruit that we can multiply. Even for God; it’s not His wrath that draws people to Him… it’s His goodness. Romans 2:4 says the “…goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.”

Of the list of fruits of the Spirit, many of us have developed one or more while others are in the process of being developed within us. As I read the list, one the fruits stands out to me; meekness. Admittedly, meekness is not one of my strong points. So this study of meekness is something I’ll have to incorporate into my own life. Sometimes, while trying to relate God’s truths, I come across as being harsh. To avoid conflict then, there are times when I should say something that I instead remain silent; and this isn’t God’s will either. Part of meekness is “being submissive to the will of God” and God wants us to speak. So either way I have difficulty; whether I speak, or whether I don’t. It’s a problem.





Just What is Meekness?

Meekness is defined by several different terms. It means; soft of temper, gentleness, submission to the will of God without complaining. Forbearance. (Forbearance is part of meekness, so just to be sure of it’s meaning, I looked it up). Forbearance: self-control, abstaining from the enforcement of a right, exercising patience and self-restraint when under personal injuries and provocations, to hold back. To wait. To endure the moment. The exercise of patience; long suffering; indulgence towards those who injure us, the delay of resentment or punishment.

We are supposed to be gentle with people; gentle not just with fellow Christians but gentle with sinners as well. Yet at the same time boldly speaking out against sin. How does a person boldly speak out against sin, yet be gentle? Ephesians 4:15 says; “…speaking the truth in love.” 2 Timothy 2:25 says, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves…”. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness…”.

How Important is the Fruit of Meekness?

God does lead all those whom He fills with His Spirit, after all, fruit trees are still fruit trees even before they have born fruit, but I am sure there comes a point in time when God expects the results of his leading to produce fruit. We all want to have ‘right thinking’ when it comes to God’s word, we all want to be taught by the leading of the Holy Spirit. How important is meekness? Those who have developed Meekness have these promises;
Psalms 25:9 - The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. Psalms 147:6 - The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. Psalms 149:4 - For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
I am sure none of us want to be on the earth in the days of God’s final wrath. Read Zephaniah 2:3 – Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.
Example of Meekness

Meekness does not mean weakness. When we are in some way provoked, especially in a serious way, it takes for more strength to ‘turn the other cheek’ to be smitten as well (as Jesus said to do) than it does to do the ‘natural thing’ which is to retaliate. When it comes to personal afflictions, or our daily interactions with others, a Christian is to be as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves. No it’s not how we might want to react, but it is how we are commanded to react out of obedience to Jesus as our Lord. Jesus was obedient too, for He did not want to die on the cross, in fact, He prayed earnestly three times trying to avoid it, but He yielded His will in obedience to His Father. (Philippines 2:8 says; “…he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”). We must have that same “not my will, but thine be done” attitude and incorporate the fruit of meekness into our lives. But in defense of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God against the kingdom of darkness; in defense of what is right against what is wrong and when speaking out against sin, Jesus did not back down from boldly speaking the truth without even hesitating. Meekness includes submitting to the will of God without complaining. A Christian must speak out against what is evil without fear or compromise, but meekness means suffering the personal abuses of man that accompany the doing of God’s will with patience instead of retaliation. With a soft answer rather than harsh words. Not returning as 1 Peter 3:9 says; “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing (insults for insults): but contrariwise blessing…” It means to proclaim the ways of the Kingdom of God, but with humility, patience and forbearance.

I always thought of Moses as a very powerful man (and he was). He had to be, leading thousands upon thousands of Israelites across the desert. What He is most famous for is that, more than any of the prophets, Moses was the Lawgiver. He stood for what was right, and was unafraid to be outspokenly against what was wrong. Yet what does the bible say of Moses? Numbers 12:3 says; “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” Meek. Not just meek, but very meek. Not just very meek but “above all the men upon the face of the earth.” Wow. Moses was a very serious, determined individual in his service to God. He heard from God and passed on what God had told him, giving us the Law. He was God’s obedient spokesman. But Moses also had a heart of compassion; often interceding for the Israelites when God was ready to destroy them. Moses did what he had to do, but he also knew that the only way for his people to truly be blessed was to be obedient to the Lord. When people of this very large flock had problems and questions, they didn’t turn a man with a whip; they turned to a man who cared for them and who had answers. And that man was Moses, who would tell them the truth even though the truth might be hard. But the source, the underlying motive for his corrections weren’t out of harshness but out of love and concern for them; as a parent corrects their child. Moses told the Israelites in prophecy (concerning Jesus) “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deuteronomy 18:15). When Jesus came on the scene He said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29). We are supposed to be gentle with people; gentle not just with fellow Christians but gentle with sinners as well. Yet at the same time boldly speaking out against sin. How does a person boldly speak out against sin, yet be gentle? Ephesians 4:15 says; “…speaking the truth in love.” 2 Timothy 2:25 says, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves…” and Galatians 6:1 says, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness…”.

Meekness means to have compassion, gentleness and kindness when instructing or correcting error. It means tospeak clearly and honestly when opposing sin and declaring what is true, while being non-aggressive and non retaliatory when personally abused, attacked or accused. It means to be submissive and obedient to God’s will and the leading of His Spirit without murmuring or complaining.