How to grow the fruit of the Spirit: three key passages you should know

2 Peter 1:3-11

Galatians 5 passage tells us to relax: God's Spirit will produce the fruit in us! Peter says the same thing - God has given us everything we need for life and godliness - but he says: you need to stay aware of what's going on, and be ambitious to see these qualities appearing in your life. He lists seven things that we should be looking for, and they're not much different from Paul's list in Galatians! So it's a case of letting God do it, but still watching for the proof that it's happening, and praying for more of it all the time!

John 15:1-17

The key verse of this topic comes from this important chapter! It's part of the final instructions Jesus gave to his disciples before he was arrested, at the Last Supper. It spells out how we live the Christian life: by allowing the Holy Spirit to pour the life of the "vine" (Jesus) into the "branches" (us), and produce the fruit that proves we're living in his power.

Hosea 14

Hosea was a prophet who was sent to the rebellious people of God when they were producing no "fruit" for him at all! Their lives were barren, dry and dusty, and they didn't even realize it - "Israel brought forth fruit for himself" was God's verdict (Hosea 10:1). So God sent them fruitlessness, thorns and thistles, in the hope that they would turn back to him. Chapter 12 is a fabulous picture of the way fruitfulness develops in our lives when we give God control. (And because we now have the gift of the Holy Spirit's presence with us - which Israel in those days didn't - this passage is looking forward to what God is going to do with us, his people, nowadays!)

WHERE NEXT?

Go to the review to check you understand and remember

Go to points 4 and 5 for additional teaching

Go back to the main resources page to do something completely different