Posture Ourselves for Fruitfulness

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^23 [d]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 

Foundational Truths

• The Holy Spirit’s responsibility is to make Christ visible in our lives; and He does this by producing the Fruit of the Spirit.
• The Fruit of the Spirit is the manifested evidence that the Spirit of God is living and reigning.
• The way to bear fruit is to simply abide in Him.
• Our responsibility is to make sure the soil of our lives is cultivated to bear maximum fruit.
• We cultivate the soil of our lives by 1) Walking in the Spirit, 2) Crucifying the flesh, 3) Reckon myself dead, 4) Not letting sin reign, and 5) Yielding myself to God.

“Don’t let your season come and you’re not bearing fruit.” – Pastor Billy Johnson

The Fruit of the Spirit are those characteristics that are produced specifically by the Holy Spirit.  The Works are plural, but fruit is singular.  It’s similar to a Pomegranate.  When you open it up, there are several seeds on the inside.  So you have one fruit with many seeds.  Just as the Fruit of the Spirit is a singular whole, with multiple manifestations:

Grace that is Rooted in God

• Love
• Joy
• Peace

Grace that Responds to Others

• Long-suffering
• Gentleness
• Goodness

Grace that Regulates Self-Behavior

• Faith
• Meekness
• Temperance

This is how we deal with everyone, except the enemy.  However, remember that we were already told in Verse 16 – “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”  So we’ve been given a template on how to deal with the enemy, simply walk in the Spirit.

“The Fruit of the Spirit is a result of Spiritual submission.” – Pastor Billy Johnson

The more I submit to Him, the more visible the fruit becomes in my life.  When you were born again, the Holy Spirit took up residence in you.  But even at that, we must do as Paul told the church, “Awake to righteousness”.  We have to learn to live out this Christian life in which we’ve been born.

“It requires a continual connection to the source.” – Pastor Billy Johnson

Fruit Requires Connection to the Source

John 15:5 – I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing.

The Fruit Reflects the Nature of the Tree

Matthew 12:33 – Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

God Wants the Fruit to Remain throughout Time

Psalms 92:13-14 – Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.  They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,

“No human being can be to you what God can be.” – Pastor Billy Johnson

Don’t ever let the enemy talk you out of bearing fruit because of your age.