God’s Will & the 9 Fruits of the Spirit
Our moral Advocate Within (a.k.a. the conscience – or the Soul – or the True Self) always encourages us to act in ways that are in alignment with the internal guidance constantly provided by the Holy Spirit. Any choice that we make in our lives resonates either harmoniously or discordantly with this underlying ethical awareness (a.k.a. “God’s Will”). Of course, the aforementioned, more general ways of knowing God’s Will can be a bit difficult to discern. Fortunately, Jesus gives us the following, more specific standard through which we can definitively know if we are acting in harmony with the Will of his heavenly Father: namely, whether or not our actions go on to produce the “Fruits of the Spirit.”
“The Kingdom of God is Given to those who produce the Fruits of the Spirit.” ~ Jesus Christ (Matthew 21:43)
Paul blesses us further by specifically listing the 9 aspects of this Holy Fruit:
“The Fruit of the Spirit is Love: Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-discipline.” ~ Galatians 5:22-23
Thus, for Christians who believe that the Bible directly reflects God’s Word, every choice that is power-fully in alignment with God’s Will must be Peace-full, Patient, Generous, Kind, Loving, Self-Disciplined, Gentle, Joyful, and Faith-full. Indeed, every single Right Action must embody & reflect these nine characteristics – thereby always bringing us and those around us an intimate experience of some form of bliss &/or contentment. In essence, these are the deeds that properly reflect God’s Will for our lives …
Now I have taken it upon myself over the last several years to radically apply these nine Truths to my own life. And it came as no small surprise when I did so that, at least whenever I had the courage to fully do so, they always functioned for enhanced Peace in my life; they always furthered Love in all of my relationships; they always emPowered my daily choices; and they always strengthened my connection with the essence many call “God.”
And so I dedicated the rest of my life to spreading this “Good News” to all who have both the “ears” (i.e. the humility) to hear this message as well as the “legs” (i.e. the Courage) to apply its Loving Way to their lives …
And yet before you can produce the “Fruits of the Spirit” in your own life, their deeper meanings must be comprehended. Of course, in order to understand them, those meanings must be experienced, and in order for them to be experienced, they must be actively applied to your everyday living … And in order for you to apply them appropriately, they must first be redefined …
*As such, every one of these nine characteristics is expounded upon hereafter, and every one of their explanations is supported by numerous references to Biblical Scripture.
*In each case, the characteristic in question is stated simply and described. Then, in the section labeled “clarifications”, some of the common misconceptions related to the particular characteristic are explained.
*Thereafter, in the section labeled “synopsis”, the characteristic’s qualities are concisely summarized.
*Then, in the section labeled “determining factor”, a key question(s) is isolated with regards to applying the characteristic in any of your everyday decision &/or encounters.
*And finally, each characteristic’s explanation is substantiated by a collection of verses from the Bible.
So without further ado, here are the Nine “Fruits” of God’s Will:
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