I've been hearing a lot of opinion on the fruits of the Spirit. I don't know that you can just nail down what they are necessarily. I mean, you can go to Galatians 5:16-26 and read where the "works of the flesh" are listed in contrast with the "fruit of the Spirit." You can also read Matthew 7:15-23 to see a description of the way that fruit bearing works. Good trees--good fruit, bad trees--bad fruit, with verse 20 specifically saying, "Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

But these "fruits" of the Spirit in us are not "works" on our part. Ephesians 2:9 makes that clear enough. Peach trees don't grunt to put the fruit on their branches. The fruits of the Spirit are a natural outgrowth of an encounter with Jesus Christ, and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in our souls.

When I think of the fruits of the Spirit I tend to think of Jacob. I like Jacob because he's such a terrific example of a fleshly guy. He sends his wives and kids before himself, starting with the least loved and ending with the most loved, because Esau, with four-hundred of his buddies is on his way to intercept him. Jacob is petrified of the possible consequences of such a meeting and goes off by himself and has an encounter with the Lord. At the end of that encounter in Genesis 32, he clings to the Lord and won't let him go until the Lord blesses him. But the Lord knows Jacob has an appointment with Esau and He wants him to keep it. It's revealed in Hosea 12 that Jacob was weeping when he clung to the Lord as he sought His favor. There was a change in Jacob's heart.

So where is the fruit? Well, when they start out to meet Esau and his four-hundred men again, Jacob has placed himself out front. There's the fruit. Pretty cool. Sure, if you read on, Jacob still has issues. There's still plenty of "Jacob" left in Jacob. But it is obvious fruit that came from an encounter with the heart-changing, merciful and gracious God of the universe.

We simple cannot do any of this stuff on our own. We can become responsible, but that comes from Him. We can become loving, generous, kind, honest, caring, compassionate, self-sacrificing, patient, considerate and display a host of other good, positive characteristics that would make the world a better place. We can. But it all comes from a relationship with the Lord.