Fruit of the Spirit Undoubtedly, the distinctive mark of a Christian is true, heaven sent love. For years liberal theo logians have talked much of love. Psychologists tell us that love is the criterion by which all of life can be measured. Paul points out that our greatest characteristic as a believer is love (I Corinthians 13:13). It is true that a person can demonstrate love, and even Biblically define love, yet not always manifest per sonal self-control in his life. Love is broader than just so many words. The Apostle Paul emphasizes these other aspects in Galatians 5:22, 23 as the listing of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is given. FRUIT the fruit of the Spirit. In the origin al Greek, there are probably three aspects to the word "fruit." The first is actual produce such as oranges, apples, bananas and the like. There is also a broader sense to consider. If a person buys a field as an in vestment, selling it a little later for a profit, that is sometimes referred to as the fruit of his stewardship. One could also refer to fruit as the result of any actions. If a person went fishing and was successful in his efforts, it would be thought of as the fruit of the act of his fishing. A common thread runs through these three uses of "fruit." It is the natural and expected product of any effort or any involvement.
In Romans 1:13 Paul suggests that fruit is the result of sharing your faith with another person through soul-winning. Fruit-bear-
The Christian qualities of charac ter seen as the result of our every action are a good way to describe
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