5 Fruits That Every Believer Possesses

Here are five obvious fruits that every believer should possess and should be obvious to everyone.

Love

Jesus once gave an indicator about how people would know that we are His disciples when He said, “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). Clearly, Jesus was saying that “all people” will know that we are Jesus’ disciples if we love one another. He didn’t mean all people in the church or all people in your family but “all people,” meaning those inside the church and outside! This love is evangelistic; it draws people to Christ. Love is one of the fruits of the Spirit of God (Gal. 5:22).

Joy

I believe that joy is different from happiness because happiness is based on happenings, and it is temporary and dependent upon circumstance. But joy… That’s completely different. You can be grieving and still have joy. I recently presided at a funeral of a lady who had passed away, and the family naturally grieved her loss, but this woman had suffered so much. Although we grieved her passing, there was joy knowing that she was now with the Lord and her pain was no more. For the believers at the funeral, it wasn’t goodbye but “see you later.” Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

Peace

Peace is also one of the fruits of the Spirit of God (Gal. 5:22), but this ties in with a blessing, as Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons (and daughters) of God” (Matt. 5:9). Why shouldn’t we have peace? We ought to have peace of mind because we are now at peace with God, as “we have been justified through faith” in Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1). You cannot have the peace of God until you have made peace with God through the blood of the Lamb of God, and then “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).

Self-Control

One of my friends claimed to be a Christian, but he swore profusely. He used God’s name in vain, blaspheming it. He watched pornographic movies, got drunk, and also was into drugs. I finally had to separate myself from him. He has deceived himself into thinking he is a Christian because he was baptized at age 8, but that means nothing. He has no self-control at all and goes off into rages and fits of anger at the slightest problem. He exhibits none of the fruits of the Spirit, above all, that of self-control. I can go and park myself in a garage, but that doesn’t mean I’m a car! John is clear that “no one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6). Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

Faithfulness

This too is a fruit of the Spirit of God (Gal. 5:22), and I believe this includes that a Christian will be faithful to their spouse, they will be faithful employees, and, above all, they will be faithful to Christ. I love the acronym FAT, that is people who are Faithful, Available, and Teachable. When Jesus returns for His bride, the church, He won’t say, “Well done thou good and generous tither, thou good and regular Sunday school attender, or thou good and great Bible reader” but “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21).

Conclusion

Every believer should exhibit evidence of the Spirit of God, and the fruits should be clearly visible to others. These are obvious to all who see them, but Jesus even looks more closely than the human eye can. He sees into the human heart. I pray you have been saved, and if so, then these are fruits that you should yield as you yield to the Spirit of God.