Jesus said in John 15:1-5 (Amplified) that, "I AM the True Vine, and MY FATHER is the Vine dresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing) He cuts away (trims off, takes away): and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit." Verse 3 goes on, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you)." Verse 4 says, "Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you (live in Me, and I will live in you) Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me." Verse 5 says, "I AM the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. HOWEVER, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing."
Within these five verses of the scripture, lies all the truth and wisdom that are needed to do what Galatians 5:22-26 describes as the fruit of the Spirit. Sometimes, we do what Paul wrote about in Galatians 3:3(Amplified) which says, "Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun (your new life spiritually) with the (Holy) Spirit, are you now reaching perfection (by dependence) on the flesh?" We forgot that the fruit of the Spirit is as much a spiritual gift as any other thing in our lives. Whether it's the gifts of the Spirit from 1Corinthians 12 or the Great Commission from Mark 16 of walking in love found in 1Corinthians 13, all are impossible to do without walking in the counsel and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
The fruit is called "the fruit of the Spirit" for a reason. Only the Holy Spirit can produce these actions in our lives. And, it's much more than simply being nice to folks. This fruit of the Holy Spirit depends on what Jesus said in John 15:5 (Amplified),"I AM the Vine, you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. HOWEVER, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing."
This vital union or constant fellowship that comes from the Word, is the washing of water by the Word according to Ephesians 5:29. Jesus also said in John 15:3 (Amplified) that the Word and the teachings of the Word prunes and cleanses the branches to bear better fruit. The more we're in fellowship with Him and the more we're in His Word, the more and better fruit we produce. As we're shown in the Word (by the Holy Spirit) things that need to change in our lives, we allow the Spirit to trim that off or prune that from our lives.
We were created by the Father to reveal Him to the world. His very nature and His Own Spirit has been given to us by our faith in Jesus. All of the seed that's necessary to produce everything, is already in place. We like "Prego;" "it's already in there." What we are required to do to produce it, isn't to try harder, but to listen more.
The devil's favorite trick is to keep us looking at ourselves instead of Jesus. If we keep our eyes focused on all of our mistakes, then we keep them off of His perfection. We're supposed to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us and allow Him to conform us into that Image. The devil will reveal you unto yourself and keep you conformed to that image and all of your imperfections.
The fruit of the Spirit cannot be made manifest by the flesh. No matter how hard we try to do it, it won't work. The fruit the Spirit produces in us is the very manifestation of the Love of God. This is what Love produces in our lives, Paul said in 1Corinthians 13 (Amplified that, "Even f I give my body to be burned, if I have not love, I gain nothing."
Does this mean that I should not keep my flesh from doing wrong? Of course not, but don't rely on the flesh to do only what the Spirit is capable of. If we allow the flesh to rule, then it produces death. If we allow the Holy Spirit to control the flesh, then we produce life.
Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore (there is) now no condemnation (no adjusting guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit for the law of the Spirit of life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has freed me from the law of sin and of death."
Once the Holy Spirit has broken the law of sin and death over our lives, we are now to be led by Him into the life of Jesus to the fullest. We understand that God has forgiven our sins and our old life, but it stopped there. This is a journey we've begun with Him that goes on until we actually stand in His presence for eternity. Don't stop abiding in Him after you get born again. The journey's just begun.
God will never leave us, but we forget that sometimes. When we stop being "God minded," we have the tendency to return to doing things in the flesh. If we abide in Him, stay in fellowship, stay in the Word, attend church in praise and keep our hearts and minds on Him, then we can't help but bear the fruit. Matthew 12:33 (Amplified) says that, "Either make the tree sound (healthy and good) and its fruit sound (healthy and good) or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad) and its fruit rotten (diseased and bad) for the tree is known and recognized and judged by its fruit."
Jesus said that, "From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" in Luke 6:45 (Amplified). If we keep our hearts filled with the Word and the Spirit, then what is produced in our lives and speech will be the fruit of the Spirit. We won't speak anything that isn't pruned and cleansed by the Word and the Spirit.
The Seed (which is the Word) will produce only what it is exactly designed to produce. All we're required to do with this seed is to protect it from contamination and other seeds that could choke it out according to Mark 4 and Proverbs 4:23. Allow the Holy Spirit to conform you to the Image of the Messiah by His Word. Don't look to yourself and your own failures, but look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your Faith. As we become more like Him, we will naturally produce the fruit that's pleasing to the Father.
1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) says, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and to instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."
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