Joel Quile's Blog

I ran across a sermon I preached about the fruit of the spirit (it is the fruit - singular - and not fruits - plural, by the way. . . )this past summer. I'll post a small part of it over the next few days. (or the next few weeks if my past posting is any indication)

The Facts of Fruit
1. It is Spiritual

This means you don’t have it. It does not come naturally. I wanted to clarify this because it is so foundational to the rest of our study in Galatians 5. When we talk about this fruit we must understand that it is something that must be developed. It does not flow naturally from us. It must be developed. You don’t have to teach a little kid to be inpatient do you. No parent ever sat down and said ok Billy now let’s lets see the foot tap, and how about the let the breath out. Ok good now repeat after me, “Are we there yet?” Good job, keep that up and you will be sitting in the car impatiently honking the horn like a caveman while your wife is trying to get three kids ready for church. No, this fruit must be developed. It is different from a spiritual gift too. A spiritual gift is given from God. Spiritual fruit is developed by God. And fruit is more important. Spiritual gifts is about talent. Spiritual fruit is about character. You might be able to sing like an angel but if your character is like that of a demon then your giftedness goes to waste.