# Are FAITH and REPENTANCE Fruits of the Holy Spirit?



## InSlaveryToChrist (Jan 12, 2012)

"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." (Gal. 5:22-23)

Does "faithfulness" here mean faith or simply obedience to God's law? Obviously, in many places of the Bible this is the case with the term "faithfulness."

Also, why is not _humility_/_repentance_ a fruit of the Spirit (at least, according to the text in question)?


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## J. Dean (Jan 12, 2012)

If you mean as a by-product/result of the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, yes.


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## rookie (Jan 12, 2012)

Based on the context of the chapter, I am leaning that these are behaviors toward our Christian community and others. Humlity and repentance would lean more toward God. Not sure what to put about the "faithfulness" part. I am sure I will be corrected by others if I am off base, I cant' wait to see what else is posted


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## moral necessity (Jan 12, 2012)

InSlaveryToChrist said:


> Does "faithfulness" here mean faith or simply obedience to God's law? Obviously, in many places of the Bible this is the case with the term "faithfulness."
> 
> Also, why is not _humility_/_repentance_ a fruit of the Spirit (at least, according to the text in question)?



a.) If they are not fruits of the Holy Spirit, then they are productions of ourselves, and we are now credited with a degree of righteousness and ability to appropriate Christ.

b.) We must be careful with equating faithfulness and obedience. Obedient people can be people who are not faithful, but faithful people will often be obedient. Faithful means to be full of faith.

c.) humility and repentance are not in the list, because the list is not exhaustive. Repentance (in the broad sense, as the Reformers commonly used it) encompasses the entire renewal of man from the corruption of sin, and would include humility and all the other fruits.

Blessings!


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## toddpedlar (Jan 12, 2012)

It's also important to note (beyond the fact that this is not an exhaustive list) that these are not "fruits" but "fruit". The words are descriptive of the singular fruit of the Holy Spirit, not different varieties of fruit...


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## jwithnell (Jan 12, 2012)

Someone with a better grasp on the Greek could answer this: does the original contain the idea of being steadfast?


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## Peairtach (Jan 12, 2012)

I think our Apostle's list of fruit is what flows fom regeneration and initial and ongoing saving faith and repentance. Regeneration and initial and ongoing saving faith and repentance are assumed as the basis for fruit production.


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## InSlaveryToChrist (Jan 12, 2012)

toddpedlar said:


> It's also important to note (beyond the fact that this is not an exhaustive list) that these are not "fruits" but "fruit". The words are descriptive of the singular fruit of the Holy Spirit, not different varieties of fruit...



That's an excellent point! Thanks for pointing out!

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moral necessity said:


> Repentance (in the broad sense, as the Reformers commonly used it) encompasses the entire renewal of man from the corruption of sin, and would include humility and all the other fruits.



Good point!


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## Jack K (Jan 12, 2012)

jwithnell said:


> Someone with a better grasp on the Greek could answer this: does the original contain the idea of being steadfast?



This was my question. I've always assumed it was about being steadfast. Looking it up just now, I see the word here (pistis) has the same root as the word used elsewhere in Galatians and other parts of the Bible to mean saving faith. But saving faith doesn't seem to fit the context here, and I've heard that this word can have a broad range of meaning. We do need someone who knows their Greek to weigh in.


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