Fruit

"But the fruit of the SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Gal. 5:22-23

In reading that, many people immediately jump to thinking, "Oh these are the things I need to start doing so that I can show that I love GOD." Which in essence is not bad or wrong at all. I would just like to propose a better, more fulfilling understanding.

In the last post from Romans, I talked about trees and how we are branches and GOD is the root. JESUS said "I am the vine and you are the branches." John 15:5
When we, the branches, are taking our sustenance from the roots (GOD), our very source of life, we are vibrant and full of life. It also takes the vine (JESUS) for our food and water to reach us out on our branch. But, when we become full of these things, our spirit is full of the SPIRIT. And as branches, when we are well-nourished, full from within our vines from the source (our roots) aka full of HIS SPIRIT, we will bear fruit. "But the fruit of the SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." So when we allow ourselves to be filled with the SPIRIT, these things are inevitable...not the reverse.