Producing Spiritual Fruit
How the Holy Spirit Changes You From the Inside Out
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22–23, NKJV
When I was a boy, my father’s best friend owned acres of fruit trees. He grew avocados, limes, grapefruit, oranges, and more. His two sons were my best friends, so I spent plenty of time running through those fields with them.
One morning, we were told to pick several bags of limes. We took off through the grove looking for the right trees until we found one covered with large, lime-looking fruit. We started picking, laughing and imagining how pleased their dad would be when we returned with bags overflowing.
There was only one problem.
We had picked grapefruit.
I still remember dragging those heavy bags back and discovering that all our enthusiasm had produced the wrong fruit. We meant well. We worked hard. From our inexperienced perspective, it even looked right.
But it wasn’t the real thing.
Years later, I can see a spiritual lesson in that childhood mistake. Sometimes what looks like spiritual fruit is not necessarily fruit produced by the Spirit.
Fruit Reveals What Is Happening Within
Paul’s words in Galatians were written to believers wrestling with an important question: Are we transformed through human effort and religious performance, or through a life surrendered to God?
Just before describing the fruit of the Spirit, Paul gives us the key:
“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16, NKJV
Notice the order.
Paul does not say, “Perfect your behavior, and then you can walk with the Spirit.” He tells us to walk with the Spirit because transformation grows from that relationship.
That connects directly with where we have been in this series. We began by understanding who the Holy Spirit is and His personal presence in our lives. Last week, we explored what it means to recognize His gentle guidance.
Now we discover what happens as we continue walking with Him.
Our lives begin to bear fruit.
Fruit Is Grown, Not Manufactured
Sometimes we approach Galatians 5:22–23 like a spiritual report card.
Love? Doing fairly well. Patience? Needs improvement. Self-control? We would rather not discuss that one.
But Paul calls these qualities fruit, not accomplishments.
Jesus explained the same principle to His disciples:
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself… neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4, NKJV
Jesus spoke these words shortly before His crucifixion, preparing His disciples for life after His physical departure. Their spiritual effectiveness would not come from trying harder. It would come from remaining connected to Him.
We can imitate patience for a while. We can make ourselves act kindly. We can suppress anger and appear peaceful. From a distance, it may even look like the right fruit.
But the Holy Spirit wants something deeper than improved appearances.
He wants to change the source.
Paul describes that transformation:
“But we all… are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV
That verse reminds me of something else from my younger years.
As I became a young adult, friends of mine and my father’s friends began telling me, “You look like your dad.” Some said I talked like him. One person even commented that I had his mannerisms.
I remember those comments because they meant people who knew my father could recognize something of him in me.
Perhaps that gives us a beautiful picture of spiritual maturity.
The closer we walk with God, the more His character should become recognizable in us.
Not because we are pretending to be like Him, but because time spent in His presence is changing us.
Look for Growth in Ordinary Moments
Most spiritual fruit does not develop during dramatic spiritual experiences. It grows on Tuesday afternoon when someone tests your patience.
It appears when you choose kindness toward someone who cannot benefit you. When anxiety begins rising, yet you turn toward God instead of allowing fear to control you. When you could respond sharply but sense that quiet inner prompting: Not that way.
And you listen.
Jesus said:
“You will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:16, NKJV
Fruit eventually becomes visible.
So perhaps the question is not simply, Do I know about the Holy Spirit? It is: Is my relationship with Him changing the way I live?
Think about the past year. Are you becoming more patient? More compassionate? Quicker to forgive? Slower to anger? More peaceful when circumstances remain uncertain?
Do not look for perfection. Look for growth.
Stay Close to the Source
Fruit takes time.
Paul reminds believers:
“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13, NKJV
God is working within you, even when growth feels slow.
Our responsibility is not to obsess over producing fruit. Our responsibility is to remain close to the One producing it.
This week, choose one fruit from Galatians 5:22–23 that needs greater expression in your life. Instead of simply promising to try harder, bring that area honestly before God each morning.
Ask, “Holy Spirit, what would it look like for You to produce this in me today?”
Then pay attention.
The goal of walking in the Spirit is not simply to hear Him better. It is to become more like Christ because we have learned to walk closely with Him.
Perhaps, over time, the greatest evidence of that transformation will be something we do not even notice ourselves.
Others will.
They will encounter our patience, kindness, gentleness, peace, faithfulness, and love and recognize something familiar.
They will see something of our Father in us.
The Fruitful Life: The Overflow of God’s Love Through You by Jerry Bridges
What does it really mean to live a fruitful Christian life? In The Fruitful Life: The Overflow of God’s Love Through You, Jerry Bridges reminds us that spiritual maturity is not about appearing more religious. It is about becoming increasingly like Christ.
Bridges explores the qualities of godly character and shows how they grow from a life rooted in devotion to God. With biblical wisdom and practical insight, he challenges readers to examine not only their actions, but also the condition of their hearts. Love, humility, patience, faithfulness, and other Christlike qualities become more than virtues to admire. They become evidence of God’s transforming work within us.
That message beautifully complements our article, Producing Spiritual Fruit. We discovered that spiritual fruit is grown, not manufactured. Bridges takes us deeper into that truth, helping us understand that lasting transformation comes through dependence upon God, not merely greater determination.
If you desire a faith that changes more than your behavior, this book deserves a place in your spiritual journey. Stay close to God, allow Him to shape your character, and let His love increasingly overflow through you.
Purchase The Fruitful Life today, and subscribe to The EXCEL2FAITH Newsletter for more encouragement to deepen your daily walk with God
Heavenly Father, draw me closer to You each day, and teach me to desire Your presence more than simply the appearance of a good and faithful life. Holy Spirit, work deeply within my heart, transforming my thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions until love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control become the genuine fruit of walking with You. Help me seek You continually in prayer, listen when You speak, surrender when You correct me, and trust Your patient work in the places where I still need to grow. Lord, may I walk so closely with You that others begin to recognize something of You in me, and may my life quietly point them toward the Father I have come to know and love.
Amen.
