What is the relationship between the Fruit of the Spirit and the Gift of the Spirit?
The fruit of the Spirit is your character.
Your character is defined “habitually doing the right thing in the right way.”
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance (self control)” (Galatians 5:22, 23).
The gift of the Spirit is your ability to serve the Lord in His strength.
I like the way the Living Bible explains it:
“Now God gives us many kinds of special abilities, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service to God, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work in all through all of us who are His. The Holy Spirit displays God’s power through each of us as a means of helping the entire church” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).
God will and does use your character (spiritual fruit) even when you serve God where you are not gifted.
God will and does use your spiritual gift, even when you lack character.
God’s blessing is on those whose gifts and character are a perfect match
