Fruits of the Spirit = Seeds of the Spirit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." --Galatians 5:22-23

I always here this verse quoted, correctly of course when one considers the context, as demonstrating the effects of, or the signs of, or the results of, the Holy Spirit acting in our lives. So far so good. Then I sit in Sunday School and listen to someone demonstrate the order from the context (first the Spirit, then the fruits) by asking "what is fruit?" The answer is invariably that it is the product of the tree, the bush, the vine, whatever. Again, true enough.

The analogy of the fruit, though not continued in Galatians, can be taken farther. The fruit protects and nurtures the seed. It is the vehicle for the seed that in turn once again brings about the tree, the bush, the vine, whatever. When I ask in class where the tree comes from, the response is from God. Well, true, but is it not also true that God uses these fruits to create the situations that open the way for the Holy Spirit, and indeed do the not also nurture the spirit (small "s") of human beings? In short, the verse is just the beginning, as one understands when reading the entire letter. It is not enough to say "I have the Spirit so I have, or should have, the fruit." It is important also to cultivate the fruit so that it may be used by God to bring forth a new plant, and new fruit.

Random Thoughts.

The Tonsured One