What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?
From Baptism to Transformation
In a recent post, I reflected on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are given to believers at baptism, and they make it possible for us to live in harmony with God's will. But these gifts, while they are good in themselves, are not the end of the story. They lead to a potentially radical transformation with the fruits of the Spirit.
In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul tells us that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are the evidence of a life lived in harmony with God’s desires. These fruits are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. These virtues are not something we manufacture on our own, but rather, they are the result of the Holy Spirit working within us through the gifts.
These fruits are a sign of the transformation that begins in baptism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are "perfections" formed in us by the Spirit, the “first fruits of eternal glory.” (CCC 1832 ) They are a mark of the work the Holy Spirit does within us to shape us.
How do the gifts of the Spirit lead to the fruits? The gifts are the seeds that grow into the fruit. Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord enable us to live according to the Spirit. They help us make good decisions, face challenges, understand God’s will, and strengthen our relationship with Him.
When we live by these gifts, the fruits follow. When we use wisdom to make decisions, kindness flows from us. When we live in peace with others, patience becomes our default reaction in difficult situations. When we are filled with the Spirit’s gifts, the fruits bloom, revealing God's love in us.
if we follow the desires of the flesh, fruits like anger, jealousy, and discord will reveal us.
In Matthew 7:17-20, Jesus teaches, "Every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit... by their fruits you will know them." Just as the fruit reveals the kind of tree, the fruits of the Spirit reveal the kind of person we are. It shows what’s inside us. If we live by the Spirit, good fruit will flow from our lives. But if we follow the desires of the flesh, fruits like anger, jealousy, and discord will reveal us.
As Paul writes in Galatians 5:16-21, living by the Spirit means we don’t gratify the desires of the flesh, but instead, we align ourselves with the Spirit’s desires. This transformation is not just about us individually; it impacts our relationships with others and the way we interact with the world.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit guide us to live by the Spirit, and the fruits are the visible results of that life. In this way, they are inseparable. The more we rely on the gifts, the more the fruits of the Spirit grow and flourish.
relying on the gifts of the Holy Spirit lead me into a deeper, more fruitful relationship with God
I know that these fruits aren’t something I can force; they develop in me as I allow the Holy Spirit to work. Just as baptism marked the start of a new life, relying on the gifts of the Holy Spirit lead me into a deeper, more fruitful relationship with God and others, pun intended.
If you’ve been baptized, these gifts have been planted in you. Rely on them with prayer and patience, and watch them grow into the fruits of the Spirit.
When we are guided by the Spirit, we bear good fruit. We cultivate these virtues in our lives, becoming more Christ-like and drawing others toward Him. The Holy Spirit, through the gifts He bestows and the fruit that develops in us, equips us to live according to God's will, making our lives a testimony to His grace and transforming us into people who reflect His glory.