The nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit: 1/ LOVE, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness,
6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control, which I already included in the 7 gifts of the HOLY SPIRIT! Got ahead of myself, but, they are synonymous:)))
The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is a biblical term that sums up the nine visible attributes of a true Christian life, according to Paul's Letter to the Galatians chapter: 5...
GALATIANS 5: 22-23...
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law...
Let's take a short, deeper look into the fruits of THE HOLY SPIRIT...
LOVE (GREEK: AGAPE, LATIN: CARITAS)...
Agape denotes an undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable goodwill that always seeks the highest of the other, no matter what he does.
It is the self-giving love that gives freely without asking anything in return, and does not consider the worth of its object.
Agape is more a love by choice than philos, which is love by chance; and it refers to the will rather than the emotion. Agape describes the unconditional love God has for the world.
According to the Apostle Paul's description of "Agape" love in 1 Corinthians 13, it is sacrificial, demonstrated by Jesus' death on the cross, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly.
Love (God's love in and for man) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes do not fade under any circumstances, and it endures everything without weakening. [Love never becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. Love never fails."
A further Biblical definition in 2 JOHN 1:6 defines love with the statement, "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."
JOY (GREEK: CHARA, LATIN: GAUDIUM)...
The Greek word for 'joy' is chara, derived from the word charis, which is the Greek word for 'grace.' This is significant to note, for chara is produced by the charis of God. This means 'joy' is not a human-based happiness that comes and goes but, rather, true 'joy' is divine in its origin. It is a Spirit-given expression that flourishes best in hard times.
PEACE (GREEK: EIRENE, LATIN: PAX)...
Peace is the result of resting in a relationship with God. Peace is a tranquility, a state of rest, that comes from seeking after God, or, the opposite of chaos. Peace or eirḗnē is God's gift of wholeness and derived from eirō, "to join, tie together into a whole", properly, when all essential parts are joined together as one or as a whole.
Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace, who brings peace to the hearts of those who desire it.
The only way to get this peace is to trust in the Jewish God, YHWH, as Isaiah says, "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You."
"Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God no matter what the conflict." -Anonymous
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
PATIENCE (GREEK: MAKROTHUMIA, LATIN: LONGANIMITAS)...
Patience, which in some translations is "longsuffering" or "endurance," is defined in Strong's by two Greek words, makrothumia and hupomone.
The first, pronounced (mak-roth-oo-mee-ah) comes from makros, "long," and thumos, "temper." The word denotes lenience, forbearance, fortitude, patient endurance, longsuffering. Also included in makrothumia is the ability to endure persecution and ill-treatment. It describes a person who has the power to exercise revenge but instead exercises restraint. (Strong's #3115)
The latter, hupomone, (hoop-om-on-ay) is translated "endurance": Constancy, perseverance, continuance, bearing up, steadfastness, holding out, patient endurance. The word combines hupo, "under," and mone, "to remain." It describes the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with a passive complacency, but with a hopeful fortitude that actively resists weariness and defeat, (Strong's #5281) with hupomone (Greek ὑπομονή) being further understood as that which would be "as opposed to cowardice or despondency.
KINDNESS (GREEK: CHRESTOTES, LATIN: BENIGNITAS)...
Kindness does not necessarily mean being nice. One can be kind and not nice. Nice is defined by dictionary.com as being agreeable. In contrast, kindness is acting for the good of people regardless of what they do, properly, "useable, i.e. well-fit for use (for what is really needed); kindness that is also serviceable."
Strong's #5544: Kindness is goodness in action, sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, benevolence, kindness, affability. The word describes the ability to act for the welfare of those taxing your patience. The Holy Spirit removes abrasive qualities from the character of one under His control. (emphasis added).
The word kindness comes from the Greek word chrestotes (khray-stot-ace), which meant to show kindness or to be friendly to others and often depicted rulers, governors, or people who were kind, mild, and benevolent to their subjects. Anyone who demonstrated this quality of chrestotes was considered to be compassionate, considerate, sympathetic, humane, kind, or gentle.
The apostle Paul uses this word to depict God's incomprehensible kindness for people who are unsaved (see Romans 11:22; Ephesians 2:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:11). One scholar has noted that when the word chrestotes is applied to interpersonal relationships, it conveys the idea of being adaptable to others. Rather than harshly require everyone else to adapt to his own needs and desires, when chrestotes is working in a believer, he seeks to become adaptable to the needs of those who are around him. (Sparkling Gems from the Greek, Rick Renner)
Kindness is doing something and not expecting anything in return. Kindness is respect and helping others without waiting for someone to help one back. It implies kindness no matter what. We should live "in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left".
GOODNESS (GREEK: AGATHOSUNE, LATIN: BONITAS)...
The state or quality of being good; Moral excellence; virtue; Kindly feeling, kindness, generosity; The best part of anything; Essence; Strength; General character recognized in quality or conduct.
"For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth", with gathosune being "found only in Biblical and ecclesiastical writings, uprightness of heart and life".
FAITHFULNESS (GREEK: PISTIS, LATIN: FIDES)...
Faithfulness is committing oneself to something or someone, for instance, to one's spouse, to a cause, or to a religion. Being faithful requires personal resolve not to wander away from commitments or promises. It's not always easy to be faithful. Christian faith requires trust in God.
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews describes it this way: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
The root of pistis ("faith") is peithô that is to persuade or be persuaded which supplies the core-meaning of faith as being "divine persuasion", received from God, and never generated by man.
GENTLENESS (GREEK: PRAUTES, LATIN: MODESTIA)...
Gentleness, in the Greek, prautes, commonly known as meekness, which is "a divinely-balanced virtue that can only operate through faith (cf. 1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 2:22-25).
The New Spirit Filled Life Bible defines gentleness as "a disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious, and that has the passions under control. The word is best translated 'meekness,' not as an indication of weakness, but of power and strength under control. The person who possesses this quality pardons injuries, corrects faults, and rules his own spirit well."
SELF-CONTROL (GREEK: EGKRATEIA, LATIN: CONTINENTIA)...
The Greek word used in Galatians 5:23 is "egkrateia", which means having command or "mastery over" (krat- as in "autocrat"), or possession of, "one's own behavior." Which is accomplished through and by the power of the Lord, "proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself."
Well, there we have the basics of the FRUITS of THE HOLY SPIRIT! We are NEVER too advanced to step into HIGHER levels of understanding, even of what we THINK we already know!!!
HAPPY HOLYDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS, and HAPPY NEW YEAR WITH LOVE! *GOD* BLESS us ALL, and may we EVER HONOUR HIM BY embracing, then USING the tools, the knowledge, the wisdom HE has set before us!!!
REV. LWINSOR © 2013
BIBLICAL, and/or, other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS
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