Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit

When you are walking with JESUS and believing HIS LIFE is really your life
(its a shared life you and HIM - kind of like a marriage).

Then as you let HIM control you (putting to death sinful passions because you can say 'NO' to them) and as you do, HIS LIFE comes more to you.

Your life (which is HIS life in you) will start to produce 'Fruit of the Spirit'
read Galatians particularily the end of the book for more info.

But they are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Meekness, Faith, Gentleness, and Self Control. These are all JESUS qualities.

Kind of like telling your children to be careful who they pick as friends and who they hang around with, because they will start to act and become like them. Or, like a marriage after time, you kind of become a little like each other. Well, its the same with JESUS, as you spend time with HIM and talk with HIM and give HIM the time and expect HIM to talk with you, then you become more like HIM!

JESUS said that we were basically branches and HE was the Trunk or Vine and the FATHER was the gardener. The branch produces fruit (without trying) just by being connected with the trunk or vine. Read John 15 for more info on it.

But if the branch comes away from the trunk it is useless. And really only good for the fire.

Now how a tree is judged (how do you know if an apple tree is a apple tree)? You look at the fruit! And how do you know if its a good apple tree (again you look at the fruit). If the fruit is old and sickly with worms then its probably not good.

JESUS said you can easily judge correctly just by looking at the fruit. Notice we are not talking about un-just judgements but what JESUS teaches. Anything coming out of a persons mouth is coming out of their heart.

Out of the abundance of the mouth, the heart speaks.

Ever notice the guy that talks all about his sports team or new car but never about his family or children? He loves his sports more than his family. Because you are only going to talk about your loves.

Incidently you are judged by GOD in the end, by your own words. Read what JESUS says here:

Matthew 12:37
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

Now, Gifts of the Spirit are in full operation and GOD like any loving FATHER loves to give gifts. But HIS gifts are always for the common good, they are not selfishly used on ourselves - Love is always 'others focused'.

We are not judged on gifts but fruit.

Both are a work of HIS GRACE, nothing you can do to earn a gift you don't earn gifts. The same as fruit, the fruit does nothing to make itself grow - it just grows as GOD makes it grow!

More comming on the Gifts and Fruit later...

-Eric