We’re always trying to change the inside by doing things on the outside. Trying hard to do good works won’t change who we are on the inside. What’s on the inside will make its way to the outside. Fruit is an outward working of an inward power.
Hanging oranges on a pine tree doesn’t make it an orange tree. Yet, we often try to substitute true spiritual worship by hanging good deeds on our outward appearance. We may mean well, but there’s no power to change what’s on the inside. In-other-words, we’re trying to change the inside from the outside. God’s way is to change our lives from the inside out. God works from the platform of the new birth where His Spirit makes new our spirit. Our spirit is to bear the fruit of The Spirit.
We know what the fruit of the spirit is from Galatians five: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22, 23).
Spiritual development is growing in the fruit of the spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn’t need to develop. We need to grow in the spirit. As we do, our spiritual fruit will grow, and we will yield more fruit. The fruit is the nature and character of God our Father. One sign of spiritual maturity is manifested in bearing consistent fruit.
Like in the natural, it takes time, food, and water for fruit to develop. It takes time in the word of God, acting on God’s word, and time in prayer and fellowship with the Father to develop mature spiritual fruit.
Jesus said that we would know a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7:19, 20). We should examine out tree and see what’s growing out of it.
Stay strong and prepared.
A Journal of Edification and Exhortation 