Book Recommendation

The fruit which a person bears, whether good or bad, is of three main kinds. Jesus said that the words of a man are the fruit of what that person is. (Matthew 12:33-35). Jesus also taught that deeds are fruit. (Matthew 7:15-23). ...But fruit is more than words or deeds; it includes the qualities of character from which those words and deeds issue, 'for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true' (Eph. 5:9). Outstanding among the truly good qualities' of Christian character are the nine fruits of the Spirit. The include all three, words, deeds and virtues. For love, joy, peace and all the fruits of the Spirit are revealed in what we say, in what we do and in what we are. [page 16]

I just started reading Fruit of the Spirit by Stephen Winward. The preface and opening chapter are so wonderful that I am going to jump out on a limb and recommend it to you before even finishing it. The book is out of print, but there are a number of used bookstores on line with copies at very reasonable prices. Winward is a Baptist pastor from England who wrote this in the 1981. He takes a very Christocentric approach to the fruit stating that they are a character sketch of Jesus and that we need to understand Christ before we can understand the fruit he wishes to produce in us.

Wonderfuly written and extremely full of devotional thoughts, I highly recommend it.  In the opening chapter, Winward goes on to discuss how we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit so all the fruit is born in our life. He recommends 4 ways:

1. Attention - paying attention to God and directing our eyes upon Christ at all times, or returning our gaze to him when we wander.
2. Devotion - praying, reading the word and worshipping
3. Restraint - refusing and denying those impulses and desires which are not in accordance with God's word
4. Practice - doing those things which are in accordance with his word

From here he states,

For since the love of God in Christ includes all the virtues, in responding to that love he recieves all the virtues. If, let's say, I am deficient in joy then I shall not become joyful by concentrating on becoming joyful. For joy is the fruit of a relatinship from which all the other virtues likewise spring. If I lack patience I shall be sadly misguided if I focus my attention on becoming patient: it should be focused on the one source of all the graces, patience included...It is in the context of a continuing and ever-deepening response to the love of God in Christ that all the virtues develop, indirectly, naturally, spontaneously. Within those who abide in Chrsit the Spirit produces the fruit, the love which includes all the virtues. [page 27]

I hope you have found these few thoughts stimulating and that you find the book wonderfully beneficial to your walk.  I will make occasional posts as I read the other chapters and share some of his insights and mine.