Carl concludes a three-part study on the fruit of the Spirit, emphasizing it’s development by surrendering to God, rather than via human effort alone. Fruit-bearing is described not only as inner growth, but its expression is found in our daily, worship, character and generosity. Carl highlights humility, perseverance, and staying connected to God through prayer, reminding listeners that spiritual growth takes time. True success for the believer, is reflecting Christ’s character to others as ambassadors for Him and our fruit (whether good or bad) cannot remain hidden for long. Lets join him now…
Here is a complete transcript of the broadcast (below)…
Friend, this is the third and final part of our study on the fruit of the Spirit and I will join you on the other side of this live broadcast. Join me now live. Now notice that love, goodness, and self-control are in both. Is that interesting? So that there’s two different aspects. If you are a person of love and you are a virtuous person in morality and you have self-control, that’s a good thing, amen? That is fruit manifest. Love, self-control, and virtue are in both. Now notice, those who are in Christ have crucified the flesh. In other words, there’s a choice. We have a choice daily to crucify that flesh and walk in the Spirit or allow that flesh to reign and run around like a five-year-old, right? Yes? No, Pastor, I don’t have the flesh in here, good heavens above. I’m on session seven of my book and no. Guys, the flesh is ever-present. We can’t cast it out, but we can crucify it. Ow! So that’s something that we always have to deal with. So here it is, the breakdown engineer’s list, step-by-step, praise God. Fruit of the Spirit. Number one, love. Agape, unconditional love that stems from the Father, not you. Many people are trying to be loving, but they’re not relying on God when they’re doing it. It’s an act, right? Are you an actor? Some people act like they have fruit, but we’re gonna find out what’s in you when the pressure comes, right? When the pressure comes, we’re gonna find out what is in you. That’s the truth. Joy, exceeding gladness or cheerfulness because of our salvation. There’s an abiding joy inside of us, not dependent on the Broncos or whatever else it’s dependent on. That’s happiness. We’re not talking about happiness. We’re talking about joy that’s supernatural. It comes from within.
Then we have peace that surpasses all understanding, which we can share with others. Remember that Jesus gave peace to the disciples, and he said, share your peace with each family you visit. And so, friend, when you’re visiting people, there should be an aura of peace. I nearly said a New Age word, sorry. There should be an air of peace, all right, over you when you visit people, amen? You don’t want to be the person, like, when they leave the room, like, man, what is up with that guy? I don’t want to hear him here again, man. He was crazy, you know? I mean, we want to leave a nice sweet flavor in our mouths when we go to dinner or wherever else we go, amen? Long-suffering, better known as patience, is to bear under persecution and to help us with difficult people and circumstances. You know, patience isn’t just waiting, it’s waiting well, right? Otherwise, it would be called waiting. Patience is supernatural. It said that with faith and patience, Abraham inherited the promise. It was twofold. It wasn’t just faith. His attitude had something to do with it. The Lord said, if you’re willing and able, you’ll inherit the land. Not just able, you’ve got to be willing. That’s an attitudinal thing, okay? I’m stepping on my own toes here, okay? That’s, okay, this is for me too, all right? Our attitudes can get out of whack, and the Lord will correct us on that, amen? Gentleness is having a kind demeanor, which makes people attractive. Then we have goodness, which is moral virtue, conforming to a standard which is God’s. And then, of course, we have faith, which is a gift and a fruit. Did anybody notice that? There’s the gift of faith, and there’s the fruit of faith. Another commonality. Whenever we hear commonalities in Scripture, we pay attention. When things are repeated, they’re important. And then meekness.
Meekness is submission to God’s will in all circumstances, and not getting into the flesh, right? Just like Moses, who said, I’m the meekest man in the whole earth, amen? He wrote that. Interesting. Temperance. Self-control is very important. Remember, it’s one of the two that’s repeated, and it’s it’s about being controlling of self during fleshy temptations and having a poor attitude. Pastor, this is a really exciting message tonight. You just slapped me around the face, okay? Look, it’s not easy to preach on the fruit, because we all know we’re lacking in certain areas, okay? We’re not looking at this list going, yeah, got that, got that, oh yeah, got that down, no problem. No, we’re looking at the list going, man, and I understand that. That’s the conviction of the Holy Spirit, all right? But you know what? When it comes to temptation, this is something I learned. I kept giving into temptation, and the Lord said, you’ve got it all wrong. When you’re being tempted, you’re trying to do it in your own strength. You’re going, no, I’m not going to do that, no, I’m not going to do that, I resist, I resist. He said, that’s all wrong. When you get tempted, you need to look up and say, Lord, help me in this temptation. Help me to overcome it right now. When you shift your focus, you’re going to overcome, amen? That’s how you do it, friend. You don’t keep fighting this way, oh no, no, devil, leave me alone, I bind you in Jesus’ name, etc. Well, that can work, but it’s better to shift your focus and say, Lord, I thank you right now, you give me the strength to overcome, amen? Come on now. That’s how we do it, amen? So there are other mentions of fruit in the New Testament, okay?
So Christ-like character is talking about fruit as well, the sanctification process. And number two, a life characterized by good works. In Colossians 1:10, good works is mentioned as bearing fruit by the Apostle Paul, so it’s another usage of it. And then in Romans 1:13, it says the conversion of the house of Stephanos was fruit for Achaia, not Ikea, Achaia, alright? This guy witnessed to Stephanos and he won him over to Jesus Christ, and Paul said that was fruit for him. In other words, when you’re winning souls out there, guys, you’re bearing fruit for the kingdom of God. That’s powerful. So not only are you bearing fruit internally, you’re bearing fruit as you acquire other people, amen? In the kingdom of God. Hebrews 13:15 says, “by him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.” So when we’re worshiping, we’re giving the fruit again, another analogy. And finally, a generous giving of one’s resources. Paul designated the collection of money for the poorest saints in Jerusalem and called it fruit in Romans. When he thanked the Philippians for their financial support of his ministry, he said that their act of giving brought fruit to their account, amen? So you guys are bearing fruit internally, you’re bearing fruit when you win souls, you’re bearing fruit when you’re giving of your resources, amen? It’s win-win-win from every angle. You guys are fruit bearers. How many fruit bearers do we have? Praise God. In review, bearing fruit is an ongoing process.
We are never done bearing fruit, right? We’re never done, friends. We’re constantly attached to that vine, and I believe sincerely that there are levels of each test. So you’ve gone through patience test one, two, and three, but there’s patience test four, five, six, seven, eight, nine coming, and so there’s different levels, all right? So fruit in Scripture is a metaphor for the character traits that Christ exhibited on earth and the ones you can develop as you cooperate with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. The truth is that God lives inside of you, right? He lives in here. Some people are looking for God out here, but the truth is he has deposited himself in you, and so that’s powerful. That means that you’re not alone in the time of testing or trial. You can look inwardly and say, Lord, I need help right now. Amen. We are never promised to go through life on flowery beds of ease. Wow, that’s so observant, Pastor. Thank you. How many know that’s true? Now, some people think, you know, if you had your faith together and you said the right things and prayed the right things, you wouldn’t have any struggles. Some people think like that. That’s not how it works, guys. How many think Paul had it together? Yeah, a little bit. He wrote two-thirds of the New Testament. This guy had a lot of issues with the enemy. I mean, he was beaten with rods, whipped, chained, you know, shipwrecked, the whole gambit, okay? And so just don’t think that because you’re doing the right thing that you won’t be persecuted for it. It’s because you’re going against the current. But what fruit enables us to do is weather the storm.
We focus on the internal and say, Lord, I know that you’re going to help me through this trial or test or even temptation, and I’m going to press into the fruit that’s already in my tree, amen? I’m going to reach up and grab a little mango for myself and start eating it and say, I stored that up for myself a long time ago, and I’m saying, Lord, you’re helping me through this, amen? What I’m trying to do is get your focus away from your own issues and your own struggles when you have a tough time in this life and look upwardly and praise him and say, Lord, help me through this, and I believe you’re going to empower me to do it, amen? Just shifting your mindset is so important. It’s going to enable you to get through. So I thought about this. What is the biggest attitude trait of a fruit bearer? And it’s humility. Humility has many parts of it. Doing the things you don’t want to do but doing them anyway is humility. Taking things potentially in your own stride is pride or doing it yourself or your way, but humility says, Lord, I’m going to do it your way and you’re going to show me first before I proceed. Some people are pressured in this life to keep doing things. I’m a doer. I’m a doer. Well, do you do anything good? Not really. I’m kind of a mess, but I like to do.
Well, but you need to take, you know, inventory of what you’re doing. What’s motivating you? Remember, if the enemy cannot stop you, he’ll turn around and push you instead, okay? Some people are just making decisions and doing things very quickly, and that’s not an aspect of humility, right? And then you have the guy who said, look, I’ve conquered humility. I’ve written the book. I am humble. You can too. Five easy steps. No, bad joke. I had to tell him it’s a joke, so Lord, help me now, didn’t I? Amen. Praise God. Don’t look so serious. The Lord is going to help you be fruit bearers. You’re already fruit bearers or you wouldn’t be coming through this door, but understand that He wants a continual harvest, amen? The Lord demands a harvest of us and the Holy Spirit’s gonna help us get there, amen? Friend, the truth is that we are bearing fruit regardless. It could be good or bad, but like I said before, we seem to go through seasons of fruit, the pruning process, dormancy, etc., where we only see probably a quarter of the time the fruit that we’re bearing, but I absolutely believe that if you’re a Christian and you want to see God bear fruit through your life, you’ve got to actively engage in the fruit bearing process, okay? That means that you need to stay connected to the vine and spend time in His Word and allow His Word to inhabit you and to live your life according to that Word, okay?
It’s a process you need to engage in, and when we say fruit, we really mean a person’s actions, their personal deeds, their moral character, their behavior, their attitude, and quite often in ministry, you know, people want certain positions and they want to be promoted and this or that, but what happens is when you put someone in a position of leadership, that fruit is gonna be on display and things that were previously hidden are going to be revealed, and so it’s a very serious thing to want to advance in the kingdom of God, and really only God Himself knows whether you’re ready or not, and quite often, you know, we look at the tree or the person in leadership and we think, wow, you know, that person’s stout, he’s impressive or she’s impressive, outwardly they look good, but it’s the fruit that remains hidden until the time of testing, and so friend, all that I would ask you is that you remain connected to Jesus, remain connected to the Father, fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and He will show you the areas you need to improve on, friend, and we’re all a work in progress, no one has got this down, we’re all being buffed, shined, the rough edges being cut off, we’re all being polished, etc., God knows what He’s doing in this process and it’s His desire in this life for His character to be shown through you, that is the definition of success and fruit-bearing as far as God’s concerned. So that wraps up our session on the fruit of the Spirit, if you have any questions, please email me. Until tomorrow, good night, God bless, and remember to spread the good news.
https://carljosephministries.com/podcast/the-fruit-of-the-spirit-part-2-live/
https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-of-the-Holy-Spirit.html
Title: The Fruit of the Spirit: Part 3 (LIVE)
Related keyword searches:
Fruit of the Spirit
Christian Virtues and Character
Love, Joy, Peace in the Spirit
Self-Control and Patience in Faith
Crucifying the Flesh in Christ
Bearing Fruit in the Kingdom of God
Spiritual Growth and Sanctification
Humility and Meekness in Christian Life
Holy Spirit Empowerment for Fruit-Bearing
Six Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is the difference between the gift of faith and the fruit of faith?
The gift of faith refers to a supernatural ability, given by the Holy Spirit, to believe God for impossible things or to trust in Him for a specific purpose. It’s an extraordinary manifestation of faith for a particular situation. The fruit of faith, however, is the result of a steady, faithful walk with God. It’s a consistent, enduring trust in God’s character, promises, and timing. Both are crucial, but one is more instantaneous (gift) and the other is developed over time (fruit).
2. How can we practically “crucify the flesh” every day?
Crucifying the flesh means making a conscious choice each day to deny our selfish desires and submit our will to God. It’s a daily decision to reject sinful impulses, pride, and the desire to control everything. You can do this through prayer, meditation on God’s Word, and actively relying on the Holy Spirit for strength. The key is recognizing that the flesh will always be present, but you can choose to die to it by focusing on God’s will rather than your own.
3. Why is patience considered “supernatural”? How does it relate to the fruit of the Spirit?
Patience (or long-suffering) is supernatural because it’s not something we can produce on our own. It’s a divine characteristic that allows us to endure difficulties, delays, and trials without losing heart or becoming bitter. It’s the ability to “wait well,” trusting God’s timing and plan. In the Bible, patience is paired with faith—Abraham’s patience in waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled was a key part of his journey. As a fruit of the Spirit, patience comes when we rely on God’s strength rather than our own during times of testing.
4. How do we know when we are truly bearing the fruit of the Spirit versus just “acting” loving or joyful?
The true fruit of the Spirit is evident when it remains consistent, especially during pressure or hardship. When you’re tested, that’s when the real fruit shows up. For example, joy isn’t based on circumstances; it’s a deep, abiding gladness in God’s salvation that remains even when life is hard. Similarly, love isn’t just about being polite or doing good deeds—it’s unconditional, sacrificial love that flows from God’s heart to others. If you’re only “acting” loving or joyful, it will crumble under pressure. True fruit endures, grows, and transforms you over time.
5. What role does humility play in bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God?
Humility is foundational to bearing good fruit. It’s the attitude that recognizes that all good things come from God and that we are fully dependent on Him. Humility allows us to submit to God’s will, serve others, and recognize that our efforts are not in our own strength but through His power. True fruit-bearing requires a humble heart that continually seeks God’s guidance and gives Him glory for any good that comes from our lives. Without humility, we can become prideful, which leads to barrenness, not fruitfulness.
6. How can we shift our focus when facing temptation or trials?
Instead of fighting temptation or trials in our own strength—saying, “I resist, I resist”—we should shift our focus to God. When tempted, we can look up and ask God for help. Acknowledge that in our weakness, He is strong and that His grace is sufficient. By focusing on God’s strength, we allow the Holy Spirit to empower us to overcome. When we shift our focus from the temptation itself to God’s provision, we move from striving to relying on Him for victory.
