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Japanese Scripture describes becoming a better person as growth that God produces and people work at, and its word for the result is fruit.
Paul writes “the fruit of the Spirit” in the singular: one fruit with nine qualities (Galatians 5:22-23). The nineteen verses below cover what grows, what is trained, what is asked for, what trials produce, and what the change is for.
What grows
Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Reflection: “Fruit” is singular in Paul’s sentence, so the nine qualities belong to one harvest, and the harvest comes from the Spirit. Paul sets it against “the acts of the flesh” listed just before (5:19-21).
Romans 12:2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Reflection: “Be transformed” describes a change worked in a person as the mind is renewed. The result Paul names is the ability to test and approve God’s will.
2 Peter 1:5-7
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness.”
Reflection: “For this very reason” points back to verse 3, where God’s power has already given “everything we need for a godly life.” The list that follows builds from faith to love, one quality added to another.
Philippians 3:14
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Reflection: In the verse before, Paul says he has not yet taken hold of the goal (3:13). He presses on toward it anyway.
What is trained
1 Corinthians 9:27
“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
Reflection: Paul has just compared the Christian life to a race and a boxing match, and to athletes who go into strict training for a crown that will not last (9:24-26). He trains so that he will not be disqualified after preaching to others.
Proverbs 25:28
“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”
Reflection: In the ancient world a city’s walls were its defense. A person without self-control is pictured as a city with its walls broken through, open to anything.
James 4:17
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
Reflection: James places the problem in inaction: knowing the right thing to do and not doing it. The verse follows his warning against making plans without saying, “If the Lord wills” (4:13-16).
Ephesians 4:25
“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”
Reflection: The reason Paul gives for telling the truth is that “we are members one of another.” Lying to a neighbor harms the body both belong to.
What is asked for
James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
Reflection: God gives wisdom “generously to all without reproach.” For words to ask with, there are prayers for guidance.
Proverbs 4:7
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
Reflection: This verse is given in the King James wording. A father is instructing his children (4:1), and he tells them to make wisdom and understanding the first things they acquire.
Proverbs 16:16
“How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!”
Reflection: Proverbs often compares wisdom with gold and silver. Money is not condemned here; wisdom is worth more.
Proverbs 11:3
“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
Reflection: Integrity guides the upright the way a path guides a traveler, while the unfaithful are destroyed by their own duplicity.
What trials are said to do
James 1:2-4
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete.”
Reflection: James tells his readers to let perseverance “finish its work” so that they may be “mature and complete, not lacking anything” (1:4). Maturity is the result of a process, and the process cannot be hurried.
Romans 5:3-4
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Reflection: Paul lists a chain: suffering, perseverance, character, hope. Character comes in the middle, produced by endurance.
Matthew 17:20
“He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move.’”
Reflection: The disciples had failed to drive a demon out of a boy, and they asked Jesus privately why (17:19). He says the problem was little faith, and that faith as small as a mustard seed is enough to move a mountain.
What it is for
Philippians 2:3-4
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Reflection: Paul follows this with the example of Christ, who “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (2:7). Growth in these verses is measured by concern for others.
Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
Reflection: Jesus is quoting Psalm 37:11, “the meek will inherit the land.” Meekness is gentleness and restraint, the opposite of grasping.
Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Reflection: “Just as” sets both the standard and the source: believers forgive because God has already forgiven them in Christ.
Galatians 6:9-10
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.”
Reflection: Paul ties perseverance to doing good “to all people,” especially to fellow believers. The progress he describes is measured by what other people receive.
Where to start, if you want to start
Scripture does not dismiss effort. Peter says “make every effort,” Paul trains like an athlete, and Proverbs tells the reader to get wisdom.
It does keep the project from centering on the self. The fruit comes from the Spirit, character comes through endurance, and Paul measures growth by concern for other people. A practical first step is to ask God for wisdom (James 1:5) and to do the good you already know you should do (James 4:17).
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