Series Theme: Living Holy: Walking in the Spirit and Standing Fast in Liberty
Main Scripture Focus: Galatians 5
Series Purpose: To help believers understand that holiness is not just what we avoid, but how we live, walk, love, serve, and yield to the Holy Spirit.
June 23 -- Part 1: Entanglement
June 30 -- Part 2: Walking in Love Towards Each Other
July 7 -- Part 3: Understanding What Sin Is (AND KNOWING Christ Set Us Free from Sin, Guilt, Shame)
July 14 -- Part 4: Walking in the Spirit Fruit of the Spirit
July 21 -- Part 5: Walking in the Spirit (Yielding to and Understanding the Holy Spirit)
July 28 -- Part 6:  Walking in the Spirit (Establishing Boundaries, Holy and Healthy Habits) 

Part 4: Walking in the Spirit: Bearing the Fruit of a Spirit-Led Life

 

Background / Devotional Scriptures

Romans 14:17-19

• Galatians 5:1 -- Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.

• Galatians 5:13-15 -- Liberty is not an occasion to the flesh, but a call to serve one another by love.

• Galatians 5:16-18 -- Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

• Galatians 5:19-21 -- The works of the flesh reveal what the old nature produces.

• Galatians 5:22-25 -- The fruit of the Spirit reveals what the Holy Ghost produces in a yielded life.

• John 15:4-5 -- Jesus is the Vine; without Him we can do nothing.

• Matthew 7:16-20 -- A tree is known by its fruit.

• Ephesians 5:8-10 -- Walk as children of light, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

• Colossians 3:12-14 -- Put on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forgiveness, and charity.

1 Peter 1:13-16

• 2 Peter 1:5-12 -- Spiritual growth adds virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity.

 

Key Scriptures

• Galatians 5:22-25

• John 15:4-5

• Matthew 7:16-20

• Colossians 3:12-14

• Ephesians 5:8-10

• 2 Peter 1:5-8

 

Central Verse

Galatians 5:25 -- "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

 

Key Terms

• To yield daily decisions, attitudes, desires, words, and actions to the guidance and power of the Holy Ghost.

• The visible evidence of the Holy Spirit working inwardly in the believer and producing Christlike character.

• The sinful actions, attitudes, and desires produced when the old nature is in control.

• To remain connected, submitted, and dependent upon Christ as the true Vine.

• A life that produces evidence of spiritual growth, maturity, obedience, and Christlike character.

• Self-control; the ability to bring desires, words, emotions, appetites, and actions under the control of the Holy Spirit.

• Humility and controlled strength; power submitted to God.

• Patience, endurance, and the grace to suffer long without giving up, retaliating, or becoming easily offended.

 

Background

Paul wrote the book of Galatians to believers who were being pressured to return to bondage. Some were teaching that faith in Christ was not enough and that believers had to depend on outward religious works to be accepted by God. Paul reminded them that Christ had made them free.

However, Paul also made it clear that Christian liberty is not permission to live any kind of way. Freedom in Christ is not freedom to sin; it is freedom to serve God, love others, and walk in holiness through the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

In Galatians 5, Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. The works of the flesh reveal what happens when the flesh is in control, but the fruit of the Spirit reveals what happens when a believer is yielded to the Holy Ghost. The works of the flesh divide, destroy, and bring bondage. The fruit of the Spirit heals, strengthens, and brings glory to God.

Fruit does not appear overnight. Fruit grows through connection, nourishment, pruning, obedience, testing, and time. Just as natural fruit grows from a living tree, spiritual fruit grows from a life connected to Christ.

 

Introduction

In the previous lessons, we learned that Christ has made us free, and because of that freedom, we must not become entangled again with the yoke of bondage. We studied the danger of spiritual entanglement, the command to walk in love toward one another, and the seriousness of sin, guilt, and shame. Now, Part 4 moves us from what we must resist to what we must produce.

 

The Christian life is not only about avoiding sin; it is about bearing fruit. When a person is truly walking in the Spirit, there should be evidence. That evidence is not merely church attendance, religious language, title, position, or outward appearance. The evidence of a Spirit-led life is spiritual fruit.

 

Galatians 5 teaches us that the works of the flesh reveal what happens when a person is controlled by the sinful nature, but the fruit of the Spirit reveals what happens when the Holy Ghost is shaping the heart, character, conversation, conduct, and relationships of the believer.

 

The aim of this lesson is to help believers understand that the fruit of the Spirit is the visible evidence of an inward spiritual life. We are not called merely to know about the Spirit, talk about the Spirit, or feel the Spirit; we are called to walk in the Spirit and bear fruit that glorifies God.

 

Essential Thought

A Spirit-filled life should become a fruitful life. If we are walking in the Spirit, our character, conduct, conversation, and relationships should begin to reflect the nature of Christ.

 

Discussion

Galatians 5:22 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is..." Notice that Paul says fruit, not fruits. This teaches us that the fruit of the Spirit is one unified work of the Holy Spirit expressed in different qualities of godly character. The fruit of the Spirit is not something we manufacture by personality, discipline, or human willpower alone. It is produced by the Holy Spirit as we yield ourselves to God.

 

Jesus said in John 15:5, "I am the vine, ye are the branches." A branch does not struggle to produce fruit by itself. It bears fruit because it remains connected to the vine. In the same way, believers bear spiritual fruit as they abide in Christ, obey His Word, and submit to the Holy Spirit.

 

Love is the first expression of the fruit of the Spirit because everything else flows from it. This is not shallow affection or emotional attachment. This is godly love that seeks the good of others, serves with humility, forgives, covers, and remains faithful even when it is difficult. A Spirit-led believer cannot be ruled by hatred, bitterness, gossip, and unforgiveness.

 

Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness often depends on circumstances, but joy comes from the Lord. A believer can have joy even in trials because joy is rooted in salvation, hope, and confidence in God. Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that "the joy of the LORD is your strength."

 

Peace is the inward calm and spiritual confidence that comes from trusting God. Peace does not mean there will be no trouble around us. It means trouble does not have to rule within us. When we walk in the Spirit, we do not have to be controlled by confusion, fear, drama, or anxiety. The Spirit teaches us how to rest in God, follow peace, and become peacemakers.

 

Longsuffering means patience, endurance, and the ability to suffer long without giving up or becoming easily offended. It is the grace to deal with people, pressure, delay, and difficulty without losing our witness. Walking in the Spirit helps us not to respond to every irritation in the flesh.

 

Gentleness is kindness in action. It is a gracious way of dealing with people. Gentleness does not mean weakness. It means strength under the control of the Holy Spirit. A Spirit-led person does not have to be harsh, rude, cutting, or cruel to prove a point.

 

Goodness is moral uprightness, integrity, and a desire to do what pleases God. It is not just being nice; it is being godly in character and conduct. Goodness shows up in our choices, motives, honesty, service, and willingness to do right even when no one is watching.

 

Faith speaks of faithfulness, trustworthiness, and confidence in God. A Spirit-led believer is dependable before God and reliable in the work of the Lord. Faith causes us to keep trusting God when we cannot see the full picture, and faithfulness causes us to remain committed even when it is hard, inconvenient, or unnoticed.

 

Meekness is humility and controlled strength. A meek person is not weak; a meek person is submitted. Meekness helps us receive correction, serve without pride, and respond without arrogance. The flesh wants to be seen, praised, defended, and proven right, but the Spirit produces humility, teachability, and submission to God.

 

Temperance means self-control. It is the ability to bring our desires, words, emotions, appetites, and actions under the control of the Holy Spirit. Proverbs 25:28 says, "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls." A believer who lacks self-control becomes vulnerable to temptation, offense, anger, excess, and spiritual distraction.

 

Paul uses two different words in Galatians 5: works and fruit. The works of the flesh are actions that come from sinful nature. The fruit of the Spirit is character produced when the Holy Spirit is in control. Works of the flesh divide and destroy, but fruit of the Spirit heals and strengthens. This is why we cannot simply manage behavior on the outside; we need transformation on the inside.

 

Life Application

This lesson calls every believer to examine the fruit of his or her life. It is easy to notice what is wrong in others, but spiritual maturity begins when we allow God to examine us. We must ask ourselves: What kind of fruit am I producing? Do people experience love, patience, kindness, and peace from me? Am I growing in self-control? Am I faithful? Am I humble enough to receive correction? If the answer reveals weakness, we do not need to fall into guilt or shame. Instead, we should bring those areas to God and ask the Holy Spirit to help us grow. Fruit grows where there is surrender.

 

Discussion Points

• Believers bear fruit when they remain connected to Christ through prayer, the Word, obedience, and worship.

• Spiritual maturity is not measured only by age, title, or years in church. It is measured by growth in Christlike character.

• The fruit of the Spirit grows as we yield to the Spirit and allow God to prune what does not please Him.

• The fruit of the Spirit should change how we treat family, church members, coworkers, friends, and difficult people.

• When people see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, they should see evidence of God’s power, grace, and presence.

 

Reflection Questions

1. Which part of the fruit of the Spirit is most evident in my life right now?

2. Which part of the fruit of the Spirit do I need to ask God to help me develop?

3. How do I usually respond when I am offended, corrected, delayed, or disappointed?

4. Do my words produce love, peace, and gentleness, or do they produce hurt, confusion, and division?

5. Am I trying to produce spiritual fruit in my own strength, or am I truly abiding in Christ?

6. If people judged my spiritual life by my fruit, what would they see?

 

Class Activity: Fruit Inspection

Ask each person to privately choose one fruit of the Spirit they want God to develop more in their life this week. Then complete this sentence:

"This week, I will practice walking in the Spirit by showing more __________ in the area of __________."

 

Conclusion

The fruit of the Spirit is not optional for the believer. It is the evidence that we are walking with God and being shaped by the Holy Spirit. Christ did not set us free so we could return to bondage, live in the flesh, or remain spiritually immature. He set us free so we could live holy, walk in love, and bear fruit that reflects His nature.

 

A tree is known by its fruit, and a believer is known by the evidence of Christ working within. As we abide in Him, surrender to the Spirit, and obey the Word of God, our lives will become fruitful. We will love better, speak better, respond better, serve better, and live in a way that brings glory to God. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 

Closing Prayer

Lord, help us to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Search our hearts and show us the areas where we need to grow. Produce in us love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Help us stay connected to You, obey Your Word, and reflect the character of Christ in our daily lives. Let our fruit bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.