The Holy Spirit loves to come and take up residence in our lives. He loves when we make Him welcome; make Him Lord (2Cor 3:17). When He moves in, He transforms us. His love and grace and power on the inside of us, transforms us. When the Holy Spirit comes and settles into our heart ALL the FRUIT and ALL the GIFTS of the Spirit become ours.

FRUIT: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23, ESV).

GIFTS: One is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues (1Cor 12:8-10, ESV).

When the GIFTS are on display, there is obvious power and fascination. People can be in awe and wowed by their expression. The GIFTS and workings of the Holy Spirit can be really, very stunning. They are marvelous. They move our hearts, opening our hearts up, sometimes in ways we don’t realize.

God’s intent with the GIFTS is that they lead to greater love, faith, and fear of the Lord—our choosing to live in righty related to Him. This is building up and maturing of the FRUIT of the Spirit in us. Though…

This hasn’t always been the case in church life. Many of us have seen the GIFTS being put on display and the persons exercising them receiving praise and the attention of man because the gifts can be exploited. And vulnerable people have too often attributed more to the person exercising the gift, than the GIFT-Giver, the Holy Spirit.

And so, I write this with a caution: It is the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit on display in a life that matters so much more to God, than our exercise of the GIFTS that He gives us freely.

We absolutely want both. We need both. But do not be quick to think highly of a person who can exercise the GIFTS. God does not raise that person above his/her brothers or sisters. We should not.

The GIFTS are given to us. Every one of us can exercise them. They are for the profit of all the people around us. The Spirit gives them “for the common good” of all (1Cor 12:7).

The FRUIT however take time to grow and ripen. This is the maturing God is looking for in all of us. This is the discipleship process. This is becoming more like Jesus. In his Prepare The Way For The Lord sermon, John the Baptist said, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt 3:8 and Lu 3:8, ESV). Remember, repentance is giving up our old way of thinking and aligning to Jesus. Thinking change leads to behavior change. The more we align with Jesus, the more we become like Him in every aspect of life.

When our maturity (FRUIT) is matching the demonstration (GIFTS) of the Spirit, this is the sweet spot of walking in step with the Spirit (Rom 8:4; Gal 5:16). We will live every day with His flow through us. This is where our lives become a destructive force against the enemy, pulling his gates, and advancing the kingdom of God. This is God’s intent for our lives.

Paul was clear, we should be eagerly going after the GIFTS. They change lives. But he raised the FRUIT way above the GIFTS, calling them ὑπερβολὴν (hyperbole) which means: surpassing, excessively beyond measure, extraordinary, more excellent, superlatively beyond measure, and beyond others... as in, going beyond other people because the FRUIT are what God elevates and promotes. (And I mean promotion in the spiritual authority sense, not the worldly ick sense.)

After describing the GIFTS in 1Corinthians 12, Paul writes, “Eagerly desire the greater GIFTS. And yet I will show you the most excellent way” (1Cor 12:31, NIV). Then he proceeds to talk about LOVE in chapter 13. Paul raises LOVE over anything else. He states that all the GIFTS are useless and nothing without LOVE. He further describes LOVE as being patient and kind, gentle and patient, and not at all arrogant or rude. Paul leans this chapter right back into his FRUIT list in Galatians 5.

Pursue both the GIFTS and FRUIT. Pray for them. Let Holy Spirit teach you about them. But above all, let LOVE be what drives you.