Fruits and Gifts

December 1

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ"s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires,” Galatians 5:22-24.

The fruits of the Spirit are enumerated for us in Galatians, Chapter Five. They are: Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control.
There are also nine gifts of the Holy Spirit listed for us in the scriptures. They are: the Word of Knowledge, the Word of Wisdom, the Gift of Prophecy, the Gift of Faith, the Gifts of Healings, the Working of Miracles, the Discerning of Spirits, Different Kinds of Tongues, the Interpretation of Tongues.

These fruits and gifts are imparted upon believers by God as He sees fit and as the person of faith allows himself to be open to them. God will not impose Himself upon anyone who disdains His presence in his life, but certainly, for all who allow themselves to be candidates for the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit, they may be bountifully manifested.

Just how are these fruits and gifts defined? Here is a brief description of first the fruits, then the gifts of the Spirit:

Love is the outgoing. true concern for all mankind. This love will not be the kind of self-centered emotion that seeks its own gratification but it will be doing for others what is right, despite their sins and foibles (I Corinthians 13).

Joy is related to happiness, but where happiness is contingent upon circumstances, joy is rooted in relationship with Jesus Christ and is present in good times and in times of trial (Hebrews 12:2).

Peace: Peace of mind and peace with God are the portion of those who place their confidence in the integrity and faithfulness of our Savior (Philippians 4:6-7).

Longsuffering: allows the person of faith to bear with others who are working out their salvation. It enables the believer to be slow to anger when he is pressed upon by the slights of men (Romans 15:1; Luke 21:19).

Kindness: is behaving toward others as God has behaved toward us; it is extending graciousness and courtesy even to those who are thoughtless and rude (Ephesians 4:31-32).

Goodness: can best be identified as the generosity of spirit that springs from imitating Jesus Christ (Psalm 33:4-5).

Faithfulness: is being reliable and this quality describes a person who is trustworthy and will stand up for God's truth, His will, His purposes, and His law (Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 13:5).

Gentleness: can be recognized best by its tenderness. It is noted to extend consideration and tact in its interaction with others; it will never be angry at anything but that which angers God (Matthew 5:22-24; Ephesians 4:26).

Self-Control: is the discipline which gives us victory over our proclivity for wrong-doing. It enables us to overcome the wiles of the evil one as well as the temptations that are common to all men (I John 2:15-17).

The Word of Knowledge is that discernment that allows the man of God to speak with conviction.

The Word of Wisdom is the insight that is imparted to a man by the Spirit of God rather than acquired by him through the gleaning of knowledge.

The Gift of Prophecy is the God-given insight into the plans and purposes of the Holy One.

The Gift of Faith is the ability to trust the Lord in spite of any negative circumstances that may be engulfing a believer’s life.

The Gifts of Healings are employed when a believer prays for the sick and they recover according to the assurance of the Word.

The Working of Miracles is the impartation of the ability to act as Jesus would in response to the trials of life that a believer encounters within his own life or within the lives of those around him.

The Discerning of Spirits is the ability of the person of faith to recognize the voice of Jesus when He speaks so the cacophony of lies of the enemy will not be mistaken for the guidance of the Lord.

Different Kinds of Tongues is the ability to speak languages that have not been learned; they may be the tongues of men or of angels, according to I Corinthians 13:1.

The Interpretation of Tongues is the essential companion gift to speaking in tongues, for without the ability to ‘translate’ (interpret) the message that is spoken, the gift of tongues can generate confusion.


With this cursory understanding of the fruits and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, may we be compelled to delve deeply into the water of life that we may drink fully of everything our great God and King desires to set before us that we may partake of His gifts of life freely according to Revelation 22:17.