The  Fruit of the Spirit brings a great picture to my mind. Paul mentions this concept in Galatians 5:22-23.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Instead of saying the Christian should be producing each of these virtues individually, Paul says the Christian should be living out the fruit, singular, of the Spirit. These virtues are not produced separately. They are really just different facets of the same “fruit”.

I like that word – facet. It reminds me of a bright, clear, colorful, shiny object. The diamond!

What are the 4 C’s of calculating diamond value?

1. Clarity
2. Color
3. Cut
4. Carat Weight

The clarity of the diamond describes its flawlessness or purity.

The color of diamonds varies. The fancy colors are rare; therefore, the diamond is more valuable.

The cut of the diamond refers to proportions, finish, symmetry, and polish. This is where the “fire” of the diamond reveals itself. Obviously, the well-cut diamond is more valuable than the poor cut. The cut is often considered to have a direct link to the beauty of the stone.

The carat of the diamond measures its weight. The greater the weight, the greater the value.

Hopefully I am making sense in relating diamond characteristics to the fruit of the Spirit.

I just thought it was a good way to remember how the fruit we are to produce is not made up of individual parts, but is all part of one greater whole. (The list in Galatians is certainly not exhaustive either.)

The passage in Galatians is showing the difference of walking according to the flesh and walking by the Spirit. We are called to walk by the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is how we are to live that walk out.

Here is a checklist I am putting together, (mostly for myself), for the sake of reminder:

Is my walk characterized by a spiritual clarity? Can people look at the  way I live my life and see purity? Am I living above reproach?

Does my walk look dull and lifeless? Or does it reflect the colorful light of Christ? Do I see a decreasing pattern of sin & an increasing pattern of righteousness in my life?

Is my walk symmetrical with Scripture? Does the finished product I produce match up with the Biblical fruit of the Spirit? What areas need polishing?

Do I value my walk enough that Christ receives the weight of my thought and prayer life? Do I give my service to the church body for the right motives? Does the inspired word of God receive the attention that it deserves in my private worship? How can I  truly show the love of Christ to unbelievers?

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Galatians 5:16