The Fruit of the Spirit

Usually, when I think of fruit, I picture a basket, clump, or display of multiple items of produce. I learned that this particular use is singular since it deals with the individual and its source is from One; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit because there is only one God and the salvation of God deals with each individual on a personal basis. Because of God's love for mankind, He sent His Son into the world to become as one of us in the flesh. John 3:16, which is at the heart of the gospel message which is the "Good Seed" planted into the heart of the individual which is the ground in which the seed is buried and when the seed receives the "watering of the Word", it is drawn forth by the Spirit to the Light which is Jesus into the new birth from where one starts to grow toward the fruit that is perfected by the Spirit.

1.  LOVE; Realizing and believing the love God has for us, one accepts in faith and one takes on this love of God into oneself, having the love for God and for others therefore reflecting God's love for all others, not only in words but in our daily life before others, not as a show but in genuine love and affection and compassion, having the same desire for all that God has for all to come to Him in faith through Jesus, for eternal salvation.
2. JOY; One receives God's love with joy, much joy. My soul rejoiced the day I received God's grace and it is a joy that one would want others to have knowing that life with Jesus in heaven will be eternal, forgiven of all our sin. A desire born of love wanting this same joy shared with others.
3. PEACE; With this joy, peace came into my soul! Not the peace that the world screams for to this day, which we should pray for, but the peace which does pass beyond all understanding. No matter what is going on in this world or in our personal lives it is a peace that gives one a comforting effect that carries us through because one knows the eternal result of having God's love and mercy. This peace should be seen by others in one of God's children along with the joy and love, even though it may not be understood fully, a child of God has this in their being.
4. PATIENCE; Even though I do not fully understand or have realized all of God's blessings of whatever comes our way, from His love, the joy and peace I have, I have begun my growth in the Spirit and in this growth, patience starts to develop and mature. We endure by God's grace and faithfulness until the time that is appointed to one, either in death or in Jesus appearing for His bride. One's patience teachers us to abide in the Vine, our Lord, and only by abiding in our Lord will one mature into the fruit desired of our Lord.
5. KINDNESS; As one grows in the Spirit, another result of growing from the Seed planted in our hearts and sprouted from the new birth is kindness. An acorn seed produces on oak tree, not a pine. A tomato seed produces a tomato, not a cucumber; the Word sown in our heart of the gospel of our Lord will only produce a born-again Christian if received by faith, therefore, the "SEED" will only produce like kind and as Jesus was kind, a Christian will embody kindness towards others. The woman at the well was received by Jesus in love and kindness instead of condemnation. Jesus was kind to the lame, the blind, the poor, the deaf, to the gentiles, and even to many that did not believe.
6. GOODNESS; Goodness goes hand in hand with kindness. How could one be kind without goodness? One will grow in doing what is right and good, not evil. A desire to treat others as one would want to be treated, desiring to help, to teach, to set a good example while using the talents and resources that God has given to help spread the gospel, which is done in ---
7. FAITHFULNESS; "Stay the Course!" Endure. To be faithful, one stays in the "VINE!" Faithful to pray, to study the Word. To tithe, to fellowship, to assemble ourselves together. To be true to the Word and defend the Truth at all costs. To be obedient to God. We own nothing in this world, it is all God's, it is on loan to us to use to His Glory and to the advancement of His kingdom. We are to use it wisely. The only thing that a Christian can claim for themselves is the salvation and righteousness of God in Christ our Lord through the Holy Spirit and we are to be aware that His salvation was given to us, not earned.
8. GENTLENESS; Jesus was bruised for our sake! We are to handle the word of Life with gentleness, carefully, with compassion and love, with joy because in our witness to others, if one is not careful, we could easily bruise a prospect to whom we are witnessing. A Christian may expect a bruising from the evil in this world but the ones we witness to are to be dealt with gently.
9. SELF-CONTROL; Maturity involves self-control! Obedience requires self-control; does one obey God's word or give into the fleshly desires? I have heard that the definition of meekness is 'great power under control.' Anger, our tongue, everything we do should be done with purpose, with a good attitude and without malice. Determined to do the will of God.

We need to realize that we are His work in us and as an individual that looks upon a piece of fruit, one should look upon us with a desire to have what we offer in our Lord. As one that would reject a fruit that is not ripe or rotten, we cannot be expecting one to receive from us if we are rotten or it we are not mature in faith.

Psalm 34:8. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!

Most fruit has within itself the very likeness of the Seed from which it came; the seed of the gospel of Christ.