I received the following question in writing on August 25, 2024. “Do we have to pray for the fruits of the Spirit? Or, because we accept Christ does He give us what we need for our lives without asking?”
Before answering this, I think it’s important to lay out what the fruit of the Spirit is. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” In the passage, Paul is contrasting these things with the deeds of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21). These deeds of the flesh are sinful acts and attitudes that characterize those who are not being led by the Spirit.
Those who are being led by the Spirit, on the other hand, end up with a much different product. This product is what Paul calls the “fruit of the Spirit.” Things like love, joy, and peace are on the list. Paul adds that “against such things there is no law.” There are laws to restrict the deeds of the flesh. But there are no laws restricting love, joy, peace, and the like. In fact, there are no laws necessary to govern the fruit of the Spirit. If everyone were fully and perfectly being led by the Spirit of God the world would be a much better place.
So the fruit of the Spirit is the product in the life of the believer who is walking in the Spirit. And the question is, how do we get this fruit? How do we gain this product in our lives?
First, it is important to note that the fruit is manifested in the life of the believer. If one has not surrendered in faith to Jesus Christ, the fruit will not be there.
Only those who have trusted in Christ are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. So the conversation about the fruit of the Spirit applies only to believers.
The original question is good because it gets at the heart of an important issue. Is the fruit something we must pursue and strive for? Or, is it just granted to us by God? Is obtaining the fruit an active or passive occurrence?
Let me offer a perspective. In salvation we have what we need to be reconciled to God. We are justified before God through faith in Jesus and His work. Yet we are also called to a new path, a new manner of life. We are called to strive for sanctification. We are urged to pursue holiness of life.
This, I believe, is where the fruit of the Spirit comes in. There is an active and passive role we play in sanctification. God does a work in us as we cooperate with His will.
I think it’s a lot like an actual fruit tree. A fruit tree will grow naturally if it springs up in the proper environment. When we are saved, we are brought into an environment that is set up for our growth. Yet, we know that fruit trees can thrive when someone works to cultivate them. They can thrive in the hands of someone who is committed to growing the best fruit. Such is the fruit of the Spirit.
We have the opportunity to grow great fruit. We have the opportunity to cultivate extreme levels of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There really are no limits.
So how do we do it? The answer may be simpler than we imagined. Biblical, time-honored disciplines are the path to the spiritual product. Bible-reading, prayer, fasting, solitude, silence, and giving are examples or personal disciplines. But let’s not forget the corporate disciplines either. Things like church attendance, group Bible studies, ministry service, evangelism, and helping the needy also play a role in producing the fruit.
So, we do play an active role in cultivating the fruit. And I would recommend praying about it. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the deeds of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). Notice we are commanded to walk by the Spirit. Walking is something we must get up out of our chairs and do.
So, if you want to experience the fullness of the Spirit’s fruit in your life, I recommend you invest your time in the personal and corporate disciplines represented by the ministry of your church.
Pastor George