patience

Fruits of the Holy Spirit – Longsuffering, Gentleness, and Goodness

All nine of the Fruits of the Spirit are very strong, and the middle three are extremely powerful also. Let’s take a look at these Fruits of the Spirit: Longsuffering, Gentleness, and Goodness. We’ll get a closer look at each one to see just how important they are.

Longsuffering

Galatians 5:22-23 says longsuffering is the fourth Fruit of the Spirit.  Longsuffering can be thought of as extreme patience, a quality that is in dire need in today’s world. Just as with the other fruits listed, longsuffering can only be obtained through the help of the Holy Spirit at work in believers.

Longsuffering is defined as “forbearance under ill-will”, and “endurance and steadfastness under provocation”.  Both of these definitions are correct and both recognize that patience occurs out of enduring a hard time, being provoked, or under ill-will.  In other words, having patience is not something born out of easy times.

When the believer’s natural inclination towards impatience becomes over-ridden by the Holy Spirit’s flow of longsuffering, the bearing of this fruit becomes evident in a person.

Gentleness

Gentleness, or kindness, is the fifth Fruit of the Spirit. This spiritual characteristic works closely together with the love fruit.  Once the Holy Spirit’s infusion of love (the first Fruit of the Sprit) becomes visible in the believer, the kindness fruit naturally follows suit.  Kindness is also defind as “steadfast love”, “goodness of heart”, and “gracious aid in times of need”.  Kindness , also known as Genteness, is a beautiful quality to have (and to show). And like all the other Fruits of the Spirit, believers are completely dependent on the Holy Spirit to infuse their lives with it. Only then will the height of gentleness be reached.

Goodness

Goodness is the sixth fruit Fruit of the Spirit, and it’s a quality that will draw people to God directly through the believer who displays this fruit. The quality of goodness can be likened to a magnet in the believer – it doesn’t waiver like human goodness can.  People are drawn by the totally visible effect of goodness in the believer’s heart, as they feel safe and can trust this divine quality.  The Scriptures say “.…unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” – Psalm 27:13 KJV

Goodness is also defined as “love in action”, and “quality of being good”.  A person simply cannot manifest this fruit on their own because the sin nature goes in the opposite direction, looking out for the interest of Self rather than God’s will.  Goodness instilled in the believer’s heart by the Holy Spirit is the only true Godly type of person. The person who shows this type of goodness is always looking to serve others and their needs and putting the interests of Self last.

These three Fruits of the Spirit, just like the others, work their best when accompanied and used with the other six: Peace, Love, Joy, Faithfulness, Meekness, and Temperance. While one doesn’t need to have all nine in the beginning, the goal is to work towards becoming a Christian who possesses all of them and uses them every day in their life.

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