The Fruit of the Spirit Is...

n this fascinating work, examining the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5, John Fesko shows us that godliness comes through the work of the Holy Spirit and manifests itself as the fruit of the Spirit. This is not produced on our own, but rather Christ through his Spirit produces it in us. The author shows that this work of the Spirit is not merely a New Testament idea, but is written throughout the pages of the Old Testament. Every Christian should desire to manifest godliness and the fruit of the Spirit. Yet too often we try to achieve it by mere good intentions and efforts to pull ourselves up by our moral bootstraps. Such attempts always fall short of spiritual reality. Godliness should be a defining characteristic of Christians, so how does one obtain it? When this fruit is displayed in our lives, God is fulfilling ancient promises of redemption through Christ and the Spirit and we are experiencing and manifesting the very things God promised over 2,500 years ago. In the midst of our sin-darkened world today, Jesus continues to create anew his kingdom, where those who trust in him will manifest this holy and righteous fruit. This work will continue, until one day it fills the entire earth.