( For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
The Spirit produces in believers a life marked by complete goodness, uprightness, and truthfulness. Those once in darkness become light in the Lord, and showing this fruit is how they live as children of light and followers of God, walking in love as Christ loved them. By bearing it they learn and demonstrate what pleases the Lord and what His will is, living carefully and wisely and becoming complete in their sphere as God is complete in His. This life flows from Christ dwelling within as its living source, and with the Spirit's other graces it is God's law carried out in daily conduct, traits that open the way into the city of God. It is not mere pleasant words but a real character that rejects and exposes the unfruitful works of darkness in plain, honest speech and action.
Fruit and Walking in Light
The fruit of the Spirit consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth, and bearing that threefold fruit is the mark of the walk in light. Those who were once darkness are now light in the Lord through conversion to the truth, and as children of light they walk as followers of God as dear children, walking in love as Christ loved them. This change from darkness to light is shown by bringing forth spiritual fruit in every form of goodness and righteousness and truth.
By bearing this fruit believers prove and discern what is acceptable to the Lord and understand His will. That proving is done by walking circumspectly and wisely in evil days. In this walk they are to be perfect in their sphere as God is perfect in His sphere.
Christ abiding in the soul is the living source of this spiritual life and its fruit, and the life thus formed within is to be made evident in what is acceptable to the Lord. These qualities, together with the Spirit's other graces, are God's law put into practice in the Christian life. Cherished as traits of character they will open the gates of the city of God, in contrast to the attributes that exclude from heaven all who cherish them.
The verse belongs to the Scripture given for study and practice, instructing all who profess to serve God to live by His Word and show its light in their conduct. It stands with Ephesians 4 and Ephesians 6:10-18 as instruction for resisting every effort of Satan to tear up the foundation of faith in the third angel's message, which has stood sixty years without a pin or pillar moved, requiring the reprinting of the history of the past work.
Bearing Fruit in Life
Proving what is acceptable to the Lord is individual work that no one can do for another, for walking as children of light means personally bearing fruit in all goodness and righteousness and truth. This requires workers not to be over-moderate and over-retiring, but to speak in season and out of season and to seek the acquaintance of those not in the truth. Walking as children of light requires self placed under God's discipline instead of wrestling for recognition, with no ambition to be highest and no envy, love for supremacy, evil-speaking, or self-gratification. Failure to live this causes decided failures in missionary lines, while living it produces well-balanced minds fit to be laborers together with God.
The fruit is not smooth words or fair speeches but goodness, righteousness, and truth that distinguish the children of light from deception and the unfruitful works of darkness, and help prove what is acceptable to the Lord. Those who were once darkness are now light in the Lord and must have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reject and reprove them. By keeping hold of Christ's strength and learning from Him they reveal His meekness and lowliness and have spiritual light. Their speech and conduct are simple, straightforward, and true, fitting them for fellowship with the holy ones whose mouths contain no deceit.
United to Christ, believers show the fruit in words and actions, for a heart made spiritual produces spiritual words and actions. Trifling, cheap, frivolous conversation reveals a heart not transformed by grace and is inconsistent with this fruit, because speech reveals what fills the heart and the life displays its character. These qualities are opposed to envy and evil speaking and are seen in words that do not deceive or answer evil with evil, but speak and act for Christ. As the repository of gospel truth the church shines God's light with clear distinct rays when its members bring forth spiritual fruit in every form of goodness and righteousness and truth, thereby proving what is acceptable and understanding the will of the Lord while walking circumspectly and wisely in evil days.
Being controlled by the Holy Spirit produces goodness and righteousness and truth in the home life. In father and mother this fruit brings will and disposition into conformity to God's will and faculties and passions into harmony with Christ, with passions controlled and conduct directed and restrained by pure principles of the Word. Language becomes sound, pure, and edifying without cheapness or sickly sentimentalism. It gives parents strength and grace to be teachers in the home, to unite in prayer and authority, to overcome weaknesses and blemishes of character, to put sanctifying energy into all they do, to keep fermented wine from tempting children's appetite, and to grow with their children to full stature in Christ unto perfection.
The Spirit produces in believers a life marked by complete goodness, uprightness, and truthfulness. Those once in darkness become light in the Lord, and showing this fruit is how they live as children of light and followers of God, walking in love as Christ loved them. By bearing it they learn and demonstrate what pleases the Lord and what His will is, living carefully and wisely and becoming complete in their sphere as God is complete in His. This life flows from Christ dwelling within as its living source, and with the Spirit's other graces it is God's law carried out in daily conduct, traits that open the way into the city of God. It is not mere pleasant words but a real character that rejects and exposes the unfruitful works of darkness in plain, honest speech and action.
Fruit and Walking in Light
The fruit of the Spirit consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth, and bearing that threefold fruit is the mark of the walk in light. Those who were once darkness are now light in the Lord through conversion to the truth, and as children of light they walk as followers of God as dear children, walking in love as Christ loved them. This change from darkness to light is shown by bringing forth spiritual fruit in every form of goodness and righteousness and truth.
By bearing this fruit believers prove and discern what is acceptable to the Lord and understand His will. That proving is done by walking circumspectly and wisely in evil days. In this walk they are to be perfect in their sphere as God is perfect in His sphere.
Christ abiding in the soul is the living source of this spiritual life and its fruit, and the life thus formed within is to be made evident in what is acceptable to the Lord. These qualities, together with the Spirit's other graces, are God's law put into practice in the Christian life. Cherished as traits of character they will open the gates of the city of God, in contrast to the attributes that exclude from heaven all who cherish them.
The verse belongs to the Scripture given for study and practice, instructing all who profess to serve God to live by His Word and show its light in their conduct. It stands with Ephesians 4 and Ephesians 6:10-18 as instruction for resisting every effort of Satan to tear up the foundation of faith in the third angel's message, which has stood sixty years without a pin or pillar moved, requiring the reprinting of the history of the past work.
Bearing Fruit in Life
Proving what is acceptable to the Lord is individual work that no one can do for another, for walking as children of light means personally bearing fruit in all goodness and righteousness and truth. This requires workers not to be over-moderate and over-retiring, but to speak in season and out of season and to seek the acquaintance of those not in the truth. Walking as children of light requires self placed under God's discipline instead of wrestling for recognition, with no ambition to be highest and no envy, love for supremacy, evil-speaking, or self-gratification. Failure to live this causes decided failures in missionary lines, while living it produces well-balanced minds fit to be laborers together with God.
The fruit is not smooth words or fair speeches but goodness, righteousness, and truth that distinguish the children of light from deception and the unfruitful works of darkness, and help prove what is acceptable to the Lord. Those who were once darkness are now light in the Lord and must have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reject and reprove them. By keeping hold of Christ's strength and learning from Him they reveal His meekness and lowliness and have spiritual light. Their speech and conduct are simple, straightforward, and true, fitting them for fellowship with the holy ones whose mouths contain no deceit.
United to Christ, believers show the fruit in words and actions, for a heart made spiritual produces spiritual words and actions. Trifling, cheap, frivolous conversation reveals a heart not transformed by grace and is inconsistent with this fruit, because speech reveals what fills the heart and the life displays its character. These qualities are opposed to envy and evil speaking and are seen in words that do not deceive or answer evil with evil, but speak and act for Christ. As the repository of gospel truth the church shines God's light with clear distinct rays when its members bring forth spiritual fruit in every form of goodness and righteousness and truth, thereby proving what is acceptable and understanding the will of the Lord while walking circumspectly and wisely in evil days.
Being controlled by the Holy Spirit produces goodness and righteousness and truth in the home life. In father and mother this fruit brings will and disposition into conformity to God's will and faculties and passions into harmony with Christ, with passions controlled and conduct directed and restrained by pure principles of the Word. Language becomes sound, pure, and edifying without cheapness or sickly sentimentalism. It gives parents strength and grace to be teachers in the home, to unite in prayer and authority, to overcome weaknesses and blemishes of character, to put sanctifying energy into all they do, to keep fermented wine from tempting children's appetite, and to grow with their children to full stature in Christ unto perfection.