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(Gal 5:1921 NCV) The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: being sexually unfaithful, not being pure, taking part in sexual sins, worshiping gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people, feeling envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like these. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not inherit God’s kingdom.

(Gal 5:22,23 NRSV) By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit …

(Gal 5:22,23 KJV) But the fruit of The Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace Longsuffering, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law!

The ‘Fruit of The Spirit’ is the evidence of The Holy Spirit in you and of you expressing the Love of God to others. It is the expression of your faith in Jesus and is a sign you belong to Him.

The NRSV it states one thing the other translations appear to overlook, the Contrast of the ‘Fruit of the Spirit’ to the ‘Fruit of the World!’ Having just stated the attitudes of worldliness, Paul now contrasts them with what should be the attitude of a Christian! It is to be noted that the more time you spend with Jesus the more you will show His Love in all you do in your life.

‘Fruit’ in this verse is singular tense so there is only one type of fruit (because there is only one spirit behind it) but it has many colours. A Christian should show this one fruit (love) in their life as it is the character of God whose image they are being conformed too. Every Christian has The Holy Spirit in them so the fruit is in them but how much of it they show in their life is up to them and the more they understand and show God’s Love the more of this fruit will be shown to the world.

The fruit that is mentioned first, which should be the hallmark of a Christian, and from which all the other facets of this fruit flow and which also contrasts a Christian with the world, is love - not just any type of love - but the love that marks God and His relationship with people. A Love that caused Him to forsake all, come to a Godless world (where His enemy rules) and die for the people in it so that those people could gain eternal life, be with Him and enjoy the delights He has prepared for them if they accepted Him and His teachings

The example of Jesus is our example of Love - the giving up of things far greater than we can ever imagine to come to earth and die for those who would reject Him.

Phi 2:5-10 (WEY) Let the same disposition be in you which was in Christ Jesus. Although from the beginning He had the nature of God (i.e. was God) He did not reckon His equality with God a treasure to be tightly grasped. Nay, He stripped Himself of His glory, and took on Him the nature of a bondservant by becoming a man like other men. And being recognized as truly human, He humbled Himself and even stooped to die; yes, to die on a cross. It is in consequence of this that God has also so highly exalted Him, and has conferred on Him the Name which is supreme above every other, in order that in the Name of JESUS every knee should bow, of beings in Heaven, of those on the earth, and of those in the underworld,

Not just any joy, but the joy of having a relationship with Jesus, of being delivered from the evil kingdom of Satan and hell, of being counted worthy of doing the work of Jesus, of knowing what His love for you really means! Of knowing who you are (a child of The Kingdom) and knowing where you will go when you die. The joy of not having to worry about anything (Mat 6:33) as you do His Will, as you trust God’s Love, Purposes, Plans and Control over all circumstances.

Not just rest but a peace that pervades all we do because we know The Father is in control of all our circumstances and loves us and meets our every need! This is a peace that does not have a care as it casts all its worry on the Saviour and trusts Him fully to deal in the matter in a way that most is advantageous for us and for the task God has called us too.

It is peace resulting from the Love relationship we have with God because we are at peace with Him.

This attitude of ‘patience in suffering’ results from knowing that our reward is in Jesus and that at the end of the suffering is rest in the Kingdom of God with Jesus. It also is suffering while doing the work of Jesus and because of their love for Jesus they willingly bear it for His purposes to be effected because of the benefit it will bring to others. They do not care what happens to them as they trust Him for whatever happens to them.

People who love as Jesus loves cannot willingly hurt another or be harsh with them. This term ‘gentleness’ portrays this. It is kindness and compassion to others out of love for them. It is the attitude Jesus has with sinners and the unlovely that the world discards and that many have difficulty relating too. It is an expression of the Love Jesus has to all.

This person is virtuous and honest in all they do. Their character expresses the goodness of God. They are pure in their motives and seek evil for none, esteeming the values of God above all the world values so that God’s values permeate their nature and they reflect the goodness of God in all they do.

This is an active belief and trust in what Jesus asks them to do, because of whom Jesus is, what Jesus has done and said as well as all that Jesus has promised. This belief permeates everything they think and do. They are assured of whom they have believed in and the promises made by Him (Jesus). The faith of this person cannot be shaken and they will die rather than deny their belief in Jesus, whom He is, what He has done and what He has promised to do for them. (Heb 11:6)

The meek person realizes that he is only what he is by God’s grace and takes no credit for what God has done or is doing . He has a true estimation of himself before God and knows that all comes from God. He knows he lives only because God keeps him alive and is able to work and serve God only because God allows him to do this and also that God gives him what he needs to serve Him. He has no doubt as to his complete reliance on God and as a result does not declare his own greatness or achievements! He cannot! As he realizes he has only done what God has asked because God has prepared these for him and allowed him to do them and that there is nothing in what he has done that he can claim any ‘glory’ or originality for!

Because of this attitude, he has the heart of a servant and God can use him greatly.

God does not Love us for what we can do for Him as He can do it all Himself. He Loves us because He made us and is our ‘Father’. Those who respond in Love towards Him will be with Him in heaven. Those who reject His Love will be with His enemy in hell when they die. Remember, enemies are placed in prison where they cannot harm the good citizens of the kingdom. This is one reason hell is necessary.

This person controls themself in all things so that they never abuse anything God allows them to have control over (what they are stewards of in other words) and are also able to control themself so that they can express the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ in all they do. While all the ‘fruit’ flows from love, self-control is what allows a person to express them properly. These are the faithful and good stewards of all God has entrusted them with.

Against such there can be no law as Love fulfils God’s requirements of The Law and the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ is the expression of God’s Love, through us, to all.

The above attitudes and way of thinking are designed to remove worry and fear from our minds as these cloud our thinking and make it hard for us to hear God. They also ensure we have the correct attitudes and habits to be a good citizen of The Kingdom of Heaven and to be able to fearlessly do the work of The Kingdom. In a sense they are Mat 6:33 in action!

Worry and fear are attitudes Satan tries to make us have so we doubt God’s Love for us and His control over our circumstances and thus will be more hesitant to serve Him and trust his will and control.