The believer, living in the Spirit, should walk in the Spirit, and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, which is
" Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law " (Gal. 5:2222But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (Galatians 5:22)).
Fruit is not grown by effort. It is the result of nature in a suitable environment and under suitable conditions. So it is with the fruit of the Spirit. The first mark is love, divine love. That is the very nature of God, and should mark His children, who are partakers of the divine nature. No wonder where there is love and joy there is peace-peace in our hearts and ways. But we are sure to meet trying saints (perhaps we are trying ourselves), and we need to exercise longsuffering. Suffering not once or twice, but longsuffering. This is not natural to the flesh, but will be seen where the new nature is active within us. Faith, too, comes in. We walk by faith and not by sight. Faith gives us new adjustments, new visions, a new goal to reach, a new urge. Faith for the Christian is more real than sight. Death may end our earthly journey in a moment, and sight is gone, but there can be no cessation to eternal life. Meek we need to be. Slow to take offense, as to give it. Lastly we need temperance, self-restraint, in all things, the keeping of the flesh in the place of death.