“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22
When was the last time that you saw an orange tree producing both oranges and apples? In nature, such a phenomenon is unheard of. It’s also unheard of in the spiritual realm. If you’re connected to the tree of life, Jesus, you’ll produce the fruit of his Spirit. If you’re not producing the fruit of his Spirit, then it simply can’t be true that you’re connected to his tree.
Matthew 7:17-18 says, “Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”
The fruit may start small. It may take a little while before they are large enough to be noticed by everybody else, but if you’re apart of the Jesus tree, the fruit will grow. It would be absurd to think that you can get saved one day and display fully-grown fruit the next day. The fruit is grown through the process of sanctification over time.
You’ll notice when the fruit begins to grown. You’ll find yourself being slightly more patient in a situation where you would have lost your temper before the fruit. You’ll find yourself being joyful in a situation that would have caused you grief. When you begin to notice the fruit, water and nurture it.
