Other Fruit of the Spirit

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MONDAY

March 22

Other Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22, 23 and Ephesians 5:9 are not the only texts that list the fruit that constitute the essence of Christian character. Many of the fruit are repeated in 1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 3:10, and 2 Peter 1:5–7, where qualities are added, such as godliness, virtue, and knowledge. It is interesting to note that 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 echoes the qualities of love and states many of them using the negative word not: “does not envy; . . . does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity” (NKJV).
It should be clear by now that there is not one official checklist when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit. There are many different aspects and nuances of Christian character. What the apostles do in each case is to list those that are especially applicable to their readers. What led Paul to the enumeration in Galatians was doubtless his pastoral knowledge of the particular needs of the congregation to which he was writing.
The fruit of “godliness” is mentioned in 1 Timothy 6:11. In the original language, the word godliness meant reverence, respect, and piety toward God. Romans 5:4, 5 mentions the quality of “hope.” What role does hope play in the Christian character? When all is said and done, our Christian faith offers us nothing if not hope.
Second Peter 1:5–7 is a list of qualities, among them “virtue,” which is not mentioned in the list in Galatians 5:22, 23. Virtue is associated with moral goodness as modesty and purity. Why is this quality indispensable in the Christian life? How does this quality relate to the seventh commandment?
Second Peter 1:5, 6 adds “knowledge” to the list. Though the word that is used, gnosis (gno’-sis), signifies general knowledge and understanding, as fruit of the Spirit-filled life, what role would knowledge play? How would knowledge relate to, for instance, the gift of discernment?
Peter did not call his list in 2 Peter 1:5–7 the fruit of the Spirit, but essentially that’s what they are, because they reveal what kind of people we should be as followers of Jesus.  
How well are these characteristics manifested in your own life? If you are discouraged by what you see, what’s your one hope? What’s the only place you can flee to, and what can you find there?