D o you have more fruits of the Spirit or fruits of the flesh? Take this Bible study to inventory your own gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Fruits of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Do you have more fruits of the Spirit or fruits of the flesh? When we speak about the fruits of the Spirit, we mean fruits the Holy Spirit produces in us. Jesus said we can do nothing of ourselves (John 15:5), so all the godly fruit we bear is born essentially of the Holy Spirit.
If someone claims to be a believer but have abundantly more fruits of the flesh than fruits of the Spirit, they may be a new convert; however every true believer will have love, joy, peace, patience, and have a gentle spirit. This of course is because “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (vs 24) and the old fleshly fruits no longer dominate the life of the believer like, “idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions…” – Gal 5:20).
Which of these fruits of the Spirit is most important?
Did the Apostle Paul list the fruits in order of importance?
Why does Paul insist that “against such things there is no law?”
Which fruits to you bear the most in your life?
Which are the least fruits you bear?
Which “fruits of the flesh” do you struggle with?
What does it mean to “crucify the flesh?”
Describe what the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s “love” looks like.
Then, one at a time, describe, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Every Christian should be bearing at least some fruit of the Spirit…
Fruits of the Flesh
Galatians 5:19-21 “The works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
What do you say to someone one claims to be a believer and “is living in sexual immorality, sensuality, idolatry” and so on?
How do you tell those who have a false sense of security that “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God?”
When we inventory our life and examine ourselves to see if we’re in the faith, write out the fruits that you display most.
Are there more fruits of the Spirit or the fruits of the flesh?
What are the fruits of the flesh that you still bear even though you’re a child of God?
Does Paul list the worst fruits of the flesh first, for example, sexual immorality?
Can a believer still display some of these carnal fruits?
What’s the most fruit in your fruit basket of life?
Walking in the Spirit
Galatians 5:16-17 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”
If you or someone you know claims to be walking with Christ, they won’t be gratifying or fulfilling the desires of the flesh because “the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit” and there would be a conviction from the Holy Spirit when they are gratifying the flesh….right?
If there’s no conviction from walking in the flesh, does that person have the Holy Spirit abiding in them?
Why does Paul use the world “walk” as in the Spirit?
What physical evidence is there of a person’s having the Holy Spirit?
What is evidence that someone doesn’t have the Spirit of God?
What fruits of the flesh that you still battle with?
Evidence of the Spirit
Eph 5:18-21 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Here are evidences of the Spirit of God dwelling in a person. They are being thankful to God for everything He’s done for us, most of all the Lord Jesus Christ’s life for us (John 3:16) but they are also having joy and express it in songs and hymns to God and we address one another in the same way. Instead of being drunk with wine, we ought to “be filled with the Spirit” and those fruits of the Spirit will be made manifest to all who know you.
What does it mean to be “filled with the Spirit?”
Does this mean we can get “more” of the Holy Spirit than we already have?
Why should we be expressing thanks to God on a continual basis?
What is it that you are most thankful for?
How can everyone in the church submit to one another?
Walking in the Flesh
Ephesians 5:3-5 “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
I see plenty of the fruits of the flesh in television; the print media, on the Internet and in the way people live and talk.
Sexual immorality is again placed first in the order of their severity, but this also means there won’t be any course or crude or dirty jokes that are filthy. No believer in Christ lives in such a way as this.
If they do, then it’s possible they may have “no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God,” unless they repent. Also, see Gal 5:21.
What does Paul mean that sexual immorality should “not even be named among you?”
Have you seen these fruits of the flesh in people you know?
Have you seen these fruits of the flesh in the media?
What does “crude joking” mean?
Why is it “out of place?”
Does what comes out of our mouth reveal what’s in our heart (Matt 15:11-20)?
Conclusion
I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.
Here is some related reading for you: What Does Bearing Fruit or Being a Fruitful Christian Mean? A Bible Study
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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