Galatians 5:22–26 (ESV) — 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Last week, we began looking at how Paul details the method of our growth, which is the Spirit producing fruit within us and transforming us as we walk in and enjoy him. Let’s now dive into the balance of the many aspects of this fruit.
The Balance of Our Growth (22-23)
The ancient Greek Paul used is clear: there is a singular fruit of the Spirit that grows from our lives. Some have wondered if this means the singular fruit of the Spirit is love and that all the other elements are facets of love. But the most received and best view is that the fruit of the Spirit includes all the dimensions found here: love, but also joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (22-23). What this suggests is that these various elements are all interconnected. There is one fruit of the Spirit, which looks like all these elements.
To put it bluntly, this is not a Pauline personality profile exam. If it were, we could come to this list and discover areas in which we are naturally strong, but natural strengths are not the fruit of the Spirit. Natural temperament should not be confused with the work of the Spirit.
The sign that the Spirit authors various elements is that the other elements can also be found. When the Spirit is working in someone's life, they won't be patient but also completely lack self-control; they won't appear to be loving but also lack a moral backbone; they won't seem gentle but also lack a deep-seated joy. When the Spirit is at work, each element of his fruit is produced in balance.
Think of the way a balloon expands when filled with air. The air is evenly distributed throughout the entire balloon. It might be small at first, but it holds its shape. Air isn't only on one side of the balloon but not on the other. And, as more air is added, it fills up symmetrically.
The Spirit does the same thing in us, steadily chiseling all the facets of his fruit in our lives as we walk with him. Some of us might have natural strengths that look like some of these fruits—for example, I have a degree of natural self-discipline—but that doesn't mean we are well-rounded. Only by the Spirit can we become what Paul described here.
And this fruit is beautiful; it looks remarkably like Jesus. These nine attributes could be categorized into three sets of three. In the first set, Paul described ways the Spirit impacts our inner person. He started with love. Jesus told us to love God and our neighbor and that we would be known by our love for one another (Deut. 6:5, Matt. 22:37-40, John 13:34-35). It is the foundational virtue. It is not only a feeling but an action of self-sacrifice for others. It is better than affection because it serves others not for what it can get from them but for their good. Just as Christ loved us by bearing our burdens so that we might know God, the Spirit generates selfless love within us.
Then Paul said joy flows from the fruit of the Spirit. Joy "delight(s) in God for the sheer beauty and worth of who he is." [1] Joy is not hopeless or despairing but optimistic and confident in God, a deep inner rejoicing that does not depend on circumstances. Just as Christ endured the agony of the cross because of the joy of being reunited with his Father, the Spirit enables us to rejoice in the simple pleasure of knowing God (Heb. 12:2).
Next, Paul said peace is part of the fruit of the Spirit. A person at peace is at rest with God, and it flows into every other relationship they are in. Anxiety and worry are cast out when peace rushes in. This person still cares deeply about many things—they aren't indifferent or apathetic—but are still inwardly calm and quiet. Just as Christ had peace amid the massive war he fought against darkness, death, and sin, the Spirit generates peace in us for our mission.
Paul’s next set of attributes describes how the fruit of the Spirit impacts our interactions with others. As we walk with him, we become patient (22). This is not natural patience, like the big old family golden retriever that has become accustomed to toddlers crawling all over it. This is Spirit-engineered change—we become able to endure trials and difficulties better than we could before. Like a long-distance runner who used to be a couch potato, the Spirit produces endurance in us. Just as Christ faced the extreme hardship of the cross without resentment towards God or any human, the Spirit puts an ability to patiently endure within us.
Then he said the Spirit would grow us in kindness (22). This is an outward manifestation of love that shows compassion and concern for others, especially those less fortunate or in need. It is not charity done out of the overflow of life, but in a way that leaves us vulnerable. Just as Christ risked it all to be kind to us, the Spirit launches us into selfless kindness to others.
Then Paul wrote that the Spirit would produce goodness in us (22). Goodness includes moral excellence and integrity, making you the same in every situation. Whether others deserve it or not, this person treats them well. Just as Christ was good to everyone and lived a life of "moral beauty," the Spirit enables us to treat others well while maintaining holiness.
After these community-oriented attributes, Paul's final set described how the Spirit impacts the self. First, he said the Spirit would create faithfulness within us (22). The faithful person is loyal and committed to God and others. They keep their promises, are dependable and trustworthy, and are true to their word. Just as Christ could never be dissuaded from honoring his Father in heaven, so the Spirit makes us faithful despite our spiritual, external, and internal pressures.
He also said that the Spirit produces gentleness (23). Again, this is not a natural temperament but a Spirit-fueled attribute. This person is so in control that they are angry at the right times and not angry at the wrong times. [2] They are tender-hearted toward and considerate of others. They are not self-superior or self-absorbed. Just as Christ—who was always the greatest person in any room he walked into—was ever focused on everyone else, the Spirit produces a radical others-centeredness in us.
Finally, Paul said the Spirit produces self-control (23). This person is not self-disciplined because they need to control everything, but self-controlled so they can do God's will. They are not led by the winds of their emotions but submit every part of themselves to the deeper emotions and desires of God's Spirit. Just as Christ prayed in the garden for the Father's will to be accomplished, the Spirit causes us to habitually say, "Not as I will, but as you will" (Mat. 26:39).
What a life! What beauty and majesty! What transcendence! Don't let the mountaintop of the character described here discourage you. Too many have set too low a bar for believers. But God, who is the Spirit, has a glorious vision for what we can become by his power. Let his fruit search your heart. Let this picture in Galatians recapture your imagination of what God is trying to produce in you! In the final verses of this chapter, Paul takes us back to the foundation of our growth. He reminds us that the fruit of the Spirit is only possible once we belong to Christ Jesus (24). Without a new nature, without conversion, none of this is possible. If the Spirit produces fruit that looks like Christ in our lives, then Christ must be rooted deep within us.
[1] Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company.
[2] Barker, Kenneth L., and John R. Kohlenberger III. 2019. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary the Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old & New Testaments. USA: Zondervan Academic.