Offspring, Sheep, Fish, Series and Fruit

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

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.

What, I hear you ask, do these title words at the top have in common? They’re all nouns where the singular and plural are the same. One offspring, two offspring, one sheep, two sheep, one fish, two fish … you get the idea.

Now if we want to get to into grammar specifics, you could technically say “fishes” or “fruits”, but this would imply you’re referring collectively to different species of fish or fruit.

Why am I telling you this? Because Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruits of the Spirit. Why does he? Well, the headline is this - the fruit of the Spirit is one. We’re not talking about different species or individual types. The fruit of the Spirit is simply the fruit (singular) that gets produced when we’re filled with the Spirit. 

Yes, we can focus on different aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, but we can’t pick and choose which to have. The Spirit has one work, one fruit, to grow in all of us. The fruit of the Spirit isn't the same as the gifts of the Spirit that are given on an individual basis by the will of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is something to be expressed in every Christian life. Paul isn’t speaking about fruits to be shared around, so that one believer has one, another a different one - you’re the patient one or you’re the one with self-control. Rather he’s referring to a plural, so all of us get all of them. 

Good news? We get them all! Bad news, you can’t tap out by saying 'Oh, sorry, I didn’t get the fruit of patience or self-control.' It’s a package deal - when we’re filled with the Spirit this is what we get.

PRAYER - Jesus, fill me with your Spirit and produce in me your fruit. I’m sorry for where I’ve tried to pick and choose which fruit of the Spirit I show.