The Fruit or The Gifts — Part 1
As singles, if you are privileged to choose between a man or woman who has the gifts of the Holy Spirit and a man or woman who has the fruit of the Spirit, which would you prefer?
If I am single, I will go for a man with the fruit of the Spirit. Why, you may ask? Does it mean the fruit is more important than the gifts?
Both are good, but if he has the gifts and has no fruit, I will definitely not go for him.
To help you understand my perspective, let's examine both the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.
The Gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8–10)
The gifts of the Spirit are supernatural abilities given by the Holy Spirit to believers for the purpose of building the Church and advancing God's kingdom. They include the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. These are “given” and they are not earned and do not reflect the character of the one who carries them.
The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)
The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of a transformed character, the natural outflow of a life yielded to the Holy Spirit. It is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Unlike the gifts, the fruit is “grown” and it develops over time through surrender, discipline, and intimacy with God.
This distinction is crucial: a gift can operate through an imperfect vessel, but fruit only grows in a submitted one.
The Characteristics of Love (1 Corinthians 13:4–7)
When you look closely at the fruit of the Spirit, you will notice that they mirror the characteristics of love described in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, that is long suffering. Love is kind, that is kindness. Love is not proud, that is gentleness and humility. Love is not self-seeking, that is goodness. Love bears all things and endures all things, that is faithfulness and self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is essentially love made visible in a person's daily life.
Now that you understand the difference, here is the real question: what happens when a man carries the gifts but lacks the fruit? Understanding the difference is easy. Applying it when you are attracted to someone is the hard part. Come back for Part 2 — the answer might change how you choose.
As singles, if you are privileged to choose between a man or woman who has the gifts of the Holy Spirit and a man or woman who has the fruit of the Spirit, which would you prefer?
If I am single, I will go for a man with the fruit of the Spirit. Why, you may ask? Does it mean the fruit is more important than the gifts?
Both are good, but if he has the gifts and has no fruit, I will definitely not go for him.
To help you understand my perspective, let's examine both the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.
The Gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8–10)
The gifts of the Spirit are supernatural abilities given by the Holy Spirit to believers for the purpose of building the Church and advancing God's kingdom. They include the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. These are “given” and they are not earned and do not reflect the character of the one who carries them.
The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)
The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of a transformed character, the natural outflow of a life yielded to the Holy Spirit. It is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Unlike the gifts, the fruit is “grown” and it develops over time through surrender, discipline, and intimacy with God.
This distinction is crucial: a gift can operate through an imperfect vessel, but fruit only grows in a submitted one.
The Characteristics of Love (1 Corinthians 13:4–7)
When you look closely at the fruit of the Spirit, you will notice that they mirror the characteristics of love described in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, that is long suffering. Love is kind, that is kindness. Love is not proud, that is gentleness and humility. Love is not self-seeking, that is goodness. Love bears all things and endures all things, that is faithfulness and self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is essentially love made visible in a person's daily life.
Now that you understand the difference, here is the real question: what happens when a man carries the gifts but lacks the fruit? Understanding the difference is easy. Applying it when you are attracted to someone is the hard part. Come back for Part 2 — the answer might change how you choose.
The Fruit or The Gifts — Part 1
As singles, if you are privileged to choose between a man or woman who has the gifts of the Holy Spirit and a man or woman who has the fruit of the Spirit, which would you prefer?
If I am single, I will go for a man with the fruit of the Spirit. Why, you may ask? Does it mean the fruit is more important than the gifts?
Both are good, but if he has the gifts and has no fruit, I will definitely not go for him.
To help you understand my perspective, let's examine both the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.
The Gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8–10)
The gifts of the Spirit are supernatural abilities given by the Holy Spirit to believers for the purpose of building the Church and advancing God's kingdom. They include the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. These are “given” and they are not earned and do not reflect the character of the one who carries them.
The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)
The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of a transformed character, the natural outflow of a life yielded to the Holy Spirit. It is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Unlike the gifts, the fruit is “grown” and it develops over time through surrender, discipline, and intimacy with God.
This distinction is crucial: a gift can operate through an imperfect vessel, but fruit only grows in a submitted one.
The Characteristics of Love (1 Corinthians 13:4–7)
When you look closely at the fruit of the Spirit, you will notice that they mirror the characteristics of love described in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, that is long suffering. Love is kind, that is kindness. Love is not proud, that is gentleness and humility. Love is not self-seeking, that is goodness. Love bears all things and endures all things, that is faithfulness and self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is essentially love made visible in a person's daily life.
Now that you understand the difference, here is the real question: what happens when a man carries the gifts but lacks the fruit? Understanding the difference is easy. Applying it when you are attracted to someone is the hard part. Come back for Part 2 — the answer might change how you choose.
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