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"FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT"
By Evangelist Diana Gray
Copyrighted (c) 2000, All Rights Reserved
 KJV Bible For All Scripture

     GALATIONS 5:22-25 But the fruit Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such things there is no law.  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

1)   Fruit of the Spirit is "Love"---Brotherly Self-sacrificing Godly Love.
2)   Fruit of the Spirit is "Joy"---In the Face of all circumstances and troubles.
3)   Fruit of the Spirit is "Peace"--Spiritual Peace in having received Salvation
4)   Fruit of the Spirit is "Longsuffering"--Patience in one's Spiritual walk and attitudes.
5)   Fruit of the Spirit is "Gentleness"--Kindness in deeds and actions.
6)   Fruit of the Spirit is "Goodness"--Spiritual personality of God.
7)   Fruit of the Spirit is "Faith"--Faithfully following Jesus and His Word.
8)   Fruit of the Spirit is "Meekness"--Humbleness without selfish pride.
9)   Fruit of the Spirit is "Temperance"--Self-Control of ones actions and emotions.

      EPHESIANS 5:9-10 For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

10) Fruit of the Spirit is "Righteousness"--The righteousness of God like praying for enemies.
11) Fruit of the Spirit is "Truth"--Honesty in all things, in every way serving the Lord.

      The greatest of these Fruits of the Spirit is "Love," because without "Real Love" the others are as nothing.  Our fleshly bodies are weak given into temptations, but the Holy Spirit's power in us is greater. But..........we have to crucify the flesh.  In other words we have to work at loving one another on a daily basis, seeing each other through the eyes of Jesus.  All of the wonderful gifts that we receive in the Fruit of the Spirit comes from having Jesus Christ in our lives.  We can't get them on our own resources but that of repentance of sins coming to the Lord and receiving Salvation. 
      We grow in the Fruit of the Spirit as we deepen the relationship that we have with Jesus.  Allowing Him to have the Lordship of our lives is terribly important.  He "must" increase and we "de-crease."  This means taking yourself off of the center of your personal throne and "allowing" Jesus to totally rule there.   He must become first in your life.  If we just "act good" but don't "love" our fellowman than where is the Fruit of the Spirit in us? 
      We can "only" have peace and harmony when we live our lives  in "all" of the Fruit.  One is not very good without the others.  The Lord desires to be involved in every aspect of our lives.  If we desire to be closer to Jesus, than we have to become selfless not self fish.  Jesus laid down His life for you, can you not do any less than give up all of yourself for the Lord?
      When I have talked to people about letting go and letting Jesus be Lord of their lives, I noticed that they seem to have something holding them back;.... Pride.  We don't need wrongful, selfish pride holding us back from the Creator who should be first in our lives.  Sinful Pride does us absolutely no good.  Letting pride go and letting God rule our lives is the most important thing that we can do. 
      Basically it is called....Submission!  Your saved by the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ.  When you repented of your sins and asked Him to come into your life to be your Savior you received the beginning of the Fruit of the Spirit, but the fulness of it can't manifest itself until you seek and strive to go deeper into His presence.
      I ask you this question, have you given Him the "total" Lordship of "all" of your life? Look at the Fruits of the Spirit again and find the one you need to focus on the most.  Work at this one diligently and seek the face of the Lord.  Submit every area of your life with your emotions, mind, will and spirit to the Lord.  Don't every allow yourself to become comfortable in you spiritual walk but always strive to seek deeper spiritual growth.  If you are not spiritually growing than you are spiritually dying! Allow the Fruit of the Spirit to grow in your life!