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.
– Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
These attributes are defined here as fruit, not to be confused with what in other places is referred to as gifts. A gift is given from one to another. Fruit on the other hand is cultivated over time and endures a process from internal and external forces. Beginning as a seed and growing to maturity.
Fruit as it is described here is defined in relationship to human character. The seed would be the gospel message. Our hearts would be the soil. The fruit, our character, is a product of the Holy Spirit.
Meaning, Godly character cannot happen by any other means. You cannot birth a character that looks like Jesus, without cooperating with the Holy Spirit. When you say yes to Jesus—that is, you accept the truth that He died for your sins and you change your mind and behavior to walk towards God and away from the world—then you are given the Spirit of God to live within you. It is in cooperation with the Spirit’s leading that the heart is tilled and fruit is produced.
Matthew shares one of Jesus’ parables in Matthew 13, often referred to as the parable of the soils. It describes why different people respond differently to the truth of the gospel. The short answer is, our heart. Bad soil equals a bad product. Good soil equals an abundant harvest. You have some input over the kind of heart you possess. You can keep leaning into God and your heart can be made into good soil, or you can rebel against God and your heart will become hardened.
What kind of heart do you want to have and what kind of fruit do you want to produce?