Fruit versus Good works??

[Dave M]

The message at my church today was a lot about the fruit of the spirit, for some reason I have had this confused with good works.

So the fruit of the spirit is the condition of our hearts, is what is seems to boil down to I think?

For some reason I always thought of us producing fruit, was doing good works like visiting widows or orphans, etc.....

But it seems this is wrong, the two are separate? the fruit we produce is actually the holly spirit in us that produces these conditions in our inward heart, that should be seen outwardly in the way we live, and really treat others, especially when things are not going are way you can really see what a persons heart is like. and I do believe we do have responsibility to develop these fruits

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

Good works is
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Anyone else would like to add to the difference of the two? your thoughts would be most welcomed

 

[Hekuran]

Could you think of it as the inner and outer dimensions of the same thing?

The fruit of the spirit is kindness and love. You see that in action in the good works of caring for orphans.

No one can see exactly how the spirit is working inside you. But anyone can see how you treat your colleagues at work.

It seems a bit of a technical distinction to me.

 

[KingJ]

James 1:27 says helping orphans and widows in need is religion un-defiled for a reason. It is mostly truly selfless actions.

Imagine you decide to go and stand up in church and share on what you did for the Lord over the weekend. The person in front of you says ''Hi guys, so God used me to cast a demon out of a person this weekend''. You come on and say 'Hi Guys, I helped an old lady change a light bulb''.

The James 1:27 Christian is showing evidence of the Holy Spirit at work within them. The Matt 7:22 Christian is still living for self.

 

[B-A-C]

The Matt 7:22 Christian is still living for self.

The Matt 7:21-22; Christian is still "practicing" sin.

Matt 7:23; "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

 

[Dave M]

In Luke we have John saying repent and bear good fruit

Luke 3-8,9
8...Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
9..Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Bible sure does talk a lot about fire for it not to be literal :smile: but that for another thread not this one.

So we have John saying bear fruit, and then we have them asking what shall we do?? seems they are asking directly what to do, in order to bear fruit and show true repentance.

10...And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”

11...And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
12...Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13...And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”
14..Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”


so it seems John is answering my direct question about bearing fruit, so my thoughts are fruit of the spirit are inner changes that the Holly spirit makes in us, but produces outer works, along with outer character.So John goes on to tell these people exactly what to do in order to bear fruit, and it is there particular situation that he advises to

. And. all these have in common as to share, and dont be greedy, be content. All are about money and possessions. We can really do a litmus test on our- self on how we treat our money and possessions. Seems to be a direct relationship about our money and possessions and spiritual condition which is the fruit of the spirit IMO

it is interesting that he does not say anything, like praying or bible study, or sharing our faith.BUt everything he says is concerning the way we handle money or possessions, sharing and being content, and fair, is the bottom line here it seems to me.

 

[spiriteddove05]

There 2 in the same thing!! done with faith. The works are a manifestation of ur faith and the fruit is what ur life will show from ur faith, 2 pee's in a pod.

 

[Curtis]

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.

The fruit of the Spirit is not something we do, it is what the Holy Spirit does in the life of a believer!

The "works of faith" is what God does through a person who has faith in him because faith works by love (God)

 

[JerryfromMass]

The message at my church today was a lot about the fruit of the spirit, for some reason I have had this confused with good works.

So the fruit of the spirit is the condition of our hearts, is what is seems to boil down to I think?

For some reason I always thought of us producing fruit, was doing good works like visiting widows or orphans, etc.....

But it seems this is wrong, the two are separate? the fruit we produce is actually the holly spirit in us that produces these conditions in our inward heart, that should be seen outwardly in the way we live, and really treat others, especially when things are not going are way you can really see what a persons heart is like. and I do believe we do have responsibility to develop these fruits

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

Good works is
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Anyone else would like to add to the difference of the two? your thoughts would be most welcomed

Jesus said if we abide in him He will abide in us and we will produce much fruit. The fruit Jesus speaks of is that which we are given when we are regenerated from above by the Holy Spirit. When you have the Holy Spirit living in you, you have the "much fruit" that Jesus spoke of. By extension, when we have the fruit, it is manifest in how we live our life. The first of these fruits is love, but not just any kind of love: agape'. Agape' is that sort of love that says: regardless of how this makes you feel, and regardless of the cost to me, I am going to love you even if it means me dying in the process. If you have a child, and you love your child, you know what I am saying: you will do all you can to help your child regardless of the affect it has on you and regardless of the response you get from your child. Agape' is what God the Father showered on us when HE gave his only begotten Son who knew no sin to die a sinners death on the cross so that others may live.

 

[Br. Bear]

Greetings,

When I read/think about agape, i remember the KJV charity, which i know is not the same word for charity (charis) but i understand it by remembering John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1Corinthians 6:20

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the preciouis blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
1Peter 1:18-19


Bless you ....><>

 

[JerryfromMass]

Greetings,

When I read/think about agape, i remember the KJV charity, which i know is not the same word for charity (charis) but i understand it by remembering John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1Corinthians 6:20

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the preciouis blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
1Peter 1:18-19


Bless you ....><>

Amen. Same as for 1 Corinthians 13 where the KJV translators used the word 'charity' for the Greek word 'agape''. I spoke from 1 Cor. 13 at my sons wedding, and I asked those attending to insert their name in place of the word 'charity' in chapter 13, just to help them understand the agape' of God almighty. God's agape' never fails. Blessings.

 

[Downunder]

@Dave M - it is not complicated and scripture does explain what the fruit of the Spirit is about rather well.
As you know John the Baptist and Jesus both taught on a good tree with good fruit and a bad tree with bad fruit - interesting is that each tree cannot bear the opposite fruit.
This analogy is of believers and disciples as to their personal qualities and traits and in how we relate to others; whether good or bad.

Galatians chapter 5 explains the difference between bad fruit (the flesh the carnal person) versus the fruit of the Spirit (the new person in Christ - the evidence of being transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit)
this does not happen overnight, but over time as we grow and learn of holiness and righteousness by reading the word of God and praying to overcome sinful habits ... taking to heart what scripture teaches us about right living
as children of the light.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit,
21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. [c.f. Romans 8]
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another.

"By their fruits you will know them" - Jesus (and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down)

 

[PearlB]

The message at my church today was a lot about the fruit of the spirit, for some reason I have had this confused with good works.

So the fruit of the spirit is the condition of our hearts, is what is seems to boil down to I think?

For some reason I always thought of us producing fruit, was doing good works like visiting widows or orphans, etc.....

But it seems this is wrong, the two are separate? the fruit we produce is actually the holly spirit in us that produces these conditions in our inward heart, that should be seen outwardly in the way we live, and really treat others, especially when things are not going are way you can really see what a persons heart is like. and I do believe we do have responsibility to develop these fruits

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

Good works is
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Anyone else would like to add to the difference of the two? your thoughts would be most welcomed

God grows the Fruit of the Spirit within us and also God moves in us to do good works. But both the Fruit and the good works can only be established in those who are born again.