Supernatural Forces of Divine Life
by Gloria Copeland
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
Galatians 5:22-23
The fruit of the spirit are powerful spiritual forces. They’re more than just nice character traits for Christians to have. They are our daily victory.
Walking in the fruit of the spirit actually opens the door for us, as believers, to walk in the gifts of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, goodness and kindness are all supernatural expressions of the character and presence of God who lives inside us. When we yield to them, the Holy Spirit enhances and strengthens them in us to become a river of living water that flows out of us to help bless others!
Each fruit of the re-created human spirit supplies us with something we need so we can walk in the blessings and wholeness that Jesus provided for us. And each one provides us with an element of divine power that equips us to meet the challenges of life and come through in victory.
These fruit are born into us when we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord in the new birth (1 Peter 1:23). They give us the power we need to rise above the snares of the devil and the pull of this fallen world. They help us fulfill our divine calling and keep us strong and stable enough to complete our God-appointed race on this earth. When we’re ready to go to heaven, like the Apostle Paul, we can say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Without walking in the fruit of the spirit, the gifts of the Spirit won’t work. Galatians 5:6 says that faith works by love. So without the spiritual fruit of love, your faith won’t work. And “without faith,” as Hebrews 11:6 says, “it is impossible to please him.”
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