by Nick Kersten

In this familiar passage, Paul names the fruit of the Spirit. An often overlooked part of these verses, though, has to do with the timeframe in which the fruits become evident. In an era of self-improvement, it is important we realize that these ‘fruits’ are the result of the work of the Spirit in our lives, not the end in themselves. Our foremost duty as Christians is not to strive for these ‘fruits,’ but rather allow the Spirit to lead us and guide us, bringing us into closer conformity to Christ. The fruit is the result of growth instigated by the Holy Spirit.