We know from Scripture that there are Nine gifts of the Spirit, We also know there are Nine fruit of the Spirit that are found in the life of a person who walks in the Spirit. But what is the difference between the fruit and the gifts?
If we start by looking at the Gifts we can see a good description in James
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
If we them move into the book of Corinthians we can see that we are give a full list of what these gifts are
[1 Corinthians 12]
12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues;
12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Just as people are all different, the gifts are different for each person, but they are all given to us by the same Spirit. He may give one person the word of wisdom and to another the gift of healing. The key word here is that they are all gifts.
You can do nothing to earn these gifts, because you receive them according to the will of the Holy Ghost.
The Gift you receive confirms what God is saying to you or doing through you.
If we now turn to look at the Fruit of the Spirit.
First of all, the fruit of the Spirit are the Holy Ghosts fruit found in the life of the believer. They are not our own fruit or they would be called the “fruit of the person” instead of “fruit of the Spirit.”
Jesus said we would know people by their fruits not their gifts (Mat 7:25-29).
[John 13:35]
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
The fruit are evidence of godly character in a disciple’s life, because they can only grow out of a life that is dead to self and that lives by the Spirit
[Gal 5:25]
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit
We also find a clear description of what the fruits actually are in the book of Galatians as can be seen by
[Galatians 5:22-23]
22.But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance; against such there is no law
If we put the Gifts and fruits side by side we can see how they differ in nature.
you will notice how I have also added the words inward and outward. this I believe reflects how they manifest them selves. I believe the Fruits of the Spirit are given to our hearts and minds and manifest for others to see though though the Gifts (outward)
| Gift of the spirit (outward) | Fruit of the Spirit (inward) |
| Wisdom | Love |
| Knowledge | Joy |
| Faith | Peace |
| Healing | Long Suffering |
| Working of miracles | Gentleness |
| Prophecy | Goodness |
| Discerning of spirits | Faith |
| Divers kinds of tongues | Meekness |
| Interpretation of tongues | Temperance (Self Control) |
although a topic for another article I will say that these do bear a strong resemblance to receiving the Holy ghost and Being filled with the Holy Ghost. which again has an inward and outward relationship.
There is an eternal aspect to the fruit. It never fades away or fails.
[1 Cor 13:8]
Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
just as a side note I thought it would be interesting to look and see if the number 9 had any meaning.
The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 9
The number 9 symbolizes divine completeness or conveys the meaning of finality.
1.Christ died at the 9th hour of the day, or 3 p.m., to make the way of salvation open to everyone.
2. In was at the 9th hour of the day that a Roman Centurion named Cornelius was told, in a vision, to contact the apostle Peter. Cornelius would eventually be baptized and receive God’s spirit, becoming the first recorded Gentile convert to Christianity (Acts 10:3 ).
3. 9 letters in SALVATION
Saints of the Restoration 