They Shall Know us by Our Fruit

Today we are going to talk about fruit. Do you like fruit? What is your favorite fruit? All fruit is different. It tastes different, it looks different and it feels different in your mouth (sometimes fruit is crunchy, sometimes soft, sometimes juicy, etc.)

The Bible talks about fruit but its a different kind of fruit, it's called the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is a little like real fruit because they are each special and different too.

It's really neat because when we ask Jesus to live in us his Spirit stays with us and He will give us some of this special fruit. As we grow and learn more about Jesus, the Spirit will give us more and more fruit and become more Christ-like.

Jesus said that the world would know us, not by our knowledge or worldly possessions, but by our fruit. This fruit is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ in us as believers in Him. Just as you can identify an apple tree by the apples it produces, or an orange tree by the oranges it produces, so should the world know we are Christians by Christ that is produced in us. The fruit of the Holy Spirit consists of nine parts. These parts are (Galatians 5:22-23)
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self control.

These nine fruits of the Spirit are produced as we abide in Him. It is a natural process just as trees bear fruit naturally, and this is the way that the world should see us as Christians. This is how they see Christ. By the fruit that we produce. Notice the very first and most important fruit on the list. It’s love. And not just ordinary love but the perfect love of God in Jesus Christ.