IBS Galatians 5:22-23 (1/22/14)

Inductive Bible Study Method for Galatians 5:22,23 (1-22-2014)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

These godly attributes are called the Fruits of the Spirit. They are the actions that speak of how the Holy Spirit is working in our lives. Matthew 7:16-17 says “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” The only people that know if someone is truly saved would be God and that individual. No one can “judge” if I am saved, but you can get a pretty good idea about my walk with the Lord by what my life says and what fruits I’m producing.

For a long time, I thought that the good things (fruits) that came out of my life were not just a gift from God, but something that I could take partial credit for. Jeremiah 17:9-10 says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” I see from this verse that everything I do is evil, therefore nothing good I do is from me.

My life is known by my fruits, but these fruits (if they are good) cannot come from me. The only way that I can have these fruits manifested in my life is if I am submitted to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to have His way in my heart. Through the process of allowing myself to be emptied by the Holy Spirit and having the Holy Spirit fill me, these fruits should be shown in my life. 

It is very important to know that we are not saved because of our works or fruits, but our lives should be an evidence that we have believed on Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 says “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” From this verse, I see that it’s nothing that I’ve done to earn God’s grace. 

I’ve gathered from this study that everyone’s lives produce some kind of fruit and if we are working in our own strength the fruits will be bad. The only way to produce good fruit  - love, joy, peace, etc. - is to let the Holy Spirit work through us. It’s not our fruits or works that save us, it’s God’s grace and our faith in Him. When we are saved and surrendered to the Lord, our lives should be producing good works as a result of Christ in us.

I want to have these good fruits manifested in my life, so I must submit to the Holy Spirit’s leading. I want to memorize Jeremiah 17:9-10 so that I will always know that my heart is wicked and the only good things I do come from God. My prayer partner is Haley and I’m going to ask her to hold me accountable.