Written Monday, May 26th 2008 – Posted Monday, June 2nd 2008
Fruit or No Fruit
When a Christian looks at their daily life over a span of time, they should be able to see a continual progression in the consistency in which they display the fruit[s] of the Holy Spirit. Without a consistent growth in this are we must consider ourselves backslidden of sorts. When we are committed to our relationship with Christ and daily doing things, which feed that relationship; i.e. prayer, reading and pondering the Scriptures, listening to worship and praise music, Bible study, etc. we are going to grow and manifest the character of Christ more and more. If our commitment is half hearted, we may find ourselves stagnant. If we are not committed at all, we will soon be in a backslidden state.
The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above. – Proverbs 14:4
Backslider in Hebrew means:
5472. to flinch, i.e. (by impl.) to go back, lit. (to retreat) or fig. (to apostatize):— backslider, drive, go back, turn (away, back).
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24
We must choose to live in and with the character of Christ. This choice enables the Holy Spirit to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in and through us.
have crucified in the Greek means:
4717. from 4716; to impale on the cross; fig. to extinguish (subdue) passion or selfishness:— crucify.
4716. from the base of 2476; a stake or post (as set upright), i.e. (spec.) a pole or cross (as an instrument of capital punishment); fig. exposure to death, i.e. self-denial; by impl. the atonement of Christ:— cross.
the flesh in the Greek means:
4561. flesh (as stripped of the skin), i.e. (strictly) the meat of an animal (as food), or (by extens.) the body (as opposed to the soul [or spirit], or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or (by impl.) human nature (with its frailties [phys. or mor.] and passions), or (spec.) a human being (as such):— carnal (-ly, + -ly minded), flesh ([-ly]).
Below you will find the Greek means of the words used to describe the fruit of the Sprit.
love
26. from 25; love, i.e. affection or benevolence; spec. (plur.) a love-feast:— (feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love.
25. to love (in a social or moral sense)
joy
5479. from 5463; cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight:— gladness, × greatly, (× be exceeding) joy (-ful, -fully, fulness, -ous)
5463. to be “cheer”ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off; impers. espec. as salutation (on meeting or parting), be well:— farewell, be glad, God speed, greeting, hall, joy (- fully), rejoice.
peace
1515. (to join); peace (lit. or fig.); by impl. prosperity:— one, peace, quietness, rest, + set at one again.
longsuffering
3115. from the same as 3116; longanimity, i.e. (obj.) forbearance or (subj.) fortitude:— longsuffering, patience.
3116. with long (enduring) temper, i.e. leniently:— patiently.
kindness aka gentleness
5544. from 5543; usefulness, i.e. mor. excellence (in character or demeanor):— gentleness, good (-ness), kindness.
5543. i.e. (by impl.) useful (in manner or morals):— better, easy, good (-ness), gracious, kind
goodness
19. from 18; goodness, i.e. virtue or beneficence:— goodness.
18. benefit, good (-s, things), well.
faithfulness aka faith
4102. from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; mor. conviction (of relig. truth, or the truthfulness of God or a relig. teacher), espec. reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstr. constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:— assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
3982. a primary verb; to convince (by argument, true or false); by anal. to pacify or conciliate (by other fair means); refl. or pass. to assent (to evidence or authority), to rely (by inward certainty):— agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) confident, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield.
gentleness aka meekness
4236. from 4235; gentleness, by impl. humility:— meekness
4235. used in certain parts; gentle, i.e. humble:— meek
self-control aka temperance
1466. from 1468; self-control (espec. continence):— temperance.
1468. from 1722 and 2904; strong in a thing (masterful), i.e. (fig. and refl.) self-controlled (in appetite, etc.):— temperate.
Which fruit will you focus on assimilating into your life today?
Dead Sea Scrolls - Devotion & Study 