But the fruit of the Spirit - Both flesh - the sinful dispositions of the human heart and spirit - the changed or purified state of the soul, by the grace and Spirit of God, are represented by the apostle as trees, one yielding good the other bad fruit; the productions of each being according to the nature of the tree, as the tree is according to the nature of the seed from which it sprung. The bad seed produced a bad tree, yielding all manner of bad fruit; the good seed produced a good tree, bringing forth fruits of the most excellent kind. The tree of the flesh, with all its bad fruits, we have already seen; the tree of the Spirit, with its good fruits, we shall now see.

Love - Αγαπη· An intense desire to please God, and to do good to mankind; the very soul and spirit of all true religion; the fulfilling of the law, and what gives energy to faith itself. See Galatians 5:6.

Joy - Χαρα· The exultation that arises from a sense of God's mercy communicated to the soul in the pardon of its iniquities, and the prospect of that eternal glory of which it has the foretaste in the pardon of sin. See Romans 5:2.

Peace - Ειρηνη· The calm, quiet, and order, which take place in the justified soul, instead of the doubts, fears, alarms, and dreadful forebodings, which every true penitent less or more feels, and must feel till the assurance of pardon brings peace and satisfaction to the mind. Peace is the first sensible fruit of the pardon of sin. See Romans 5:1, and the notes there.

Long-suffering - Μακροθυμια· Long-mindedness, bearing with the frailties and provocations of others, from the consideration that God has borne long with ours; and that, if he had not, we should have been speedily consumed: bearing up also through all the troubles and difficulties of life without murmuring or repining; submitting cheerfully to every dispensation of God's providence, and thus deriving benefit from every occurrence.

Gentleness - Χρηστοτης· Benignity, affability; a very rare grace, often wanting in many who have a considerable share of Christian excellence. A good education and polished manners, when brought under the influence of the grace of God, will bring out this grace with great effect.

Goodness - Αγαθωσυνη· The perpetual desire and sincere study, not only to abstain from every appearance of evil, but to do good to the bodies and souls of men to the utmost of our ability. But all this must spring from a good heart - a heart purified by the Spirit of God; and then, the tree being made good, the fruit must be good also.

Faith - Πιστις, here used for fidelity - punctuality in performing promises, conscientious carefulness in preserving what is committed to our trust, in restoring it to its proper owner, in transacting the business confided to us, neither betraying the secret of our friend, nor disappointing the confidence of our employer.

the fruit.

Galatians 5:16-18 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh...

Psalm 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither...

Psalm 92:14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;

Hosea 14:8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree...

Matthew 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt...

Luke 8:14,15 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth...

Luke 13:9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that you shall cut it down.

John 15:2,5,16 Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it...

Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Romans 7:4 Why, my brothers, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that you should be married to another...

Ephesians 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Philippians 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Colossians 1:10 That you might walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

love.

Galatians 5:13 For, brothers, you have been called to liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Romans 5:2-5 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God...

Romans 12:9-18 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; hold to that which is good...

Romans 15:3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached you fell on me.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity braggs not itself, is not puffed up...

Ephesians 4:23-32 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind...

Ephesians 5:1,2 Be you therefore followers of God, as dear children...

Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice...

Colossians 3:12-17 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering...

1 Thessalonians 1:3-10 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ...

1 Thessalonians 5:10-22 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him...

Titus 2:2-12 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience...

James 3:17,18 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits...

1 Peter 1:8,22 Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory...

2 Peter 1:5-8 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge...

1 John 4:7-16 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God...

goodness.

Romans 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brothers, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge...

faith.

1 Corinthians 13:7,13 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things...

2 Thessalonians 3:2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

1 Timothy 3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise your youth; but be you an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith...

1 Peter 5:12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother to you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting...

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity Church Officers Warned of Vain-Glory.
Text: Galatians 5, 25-26 and 6, 1-10. 25 If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk. 26 Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another. 1 Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man thinketh himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

The Dove and the Lamb
Victorious living and effective soul-winning service are not the product of our better selves and hard endeavours, but are simply the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We are not called upon to produce the fruit, but simply to bear it. It is all the time to be His fruit. Nothing is more important then, than that we should be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit, or to keep to the metaphor, that the "trees of the Lord should be continuously full of sap"--His sap. How this may be so for us is graphically …
Roy Hession and Revel Hession—The Calvary Road

The Holy Spirit Bringing Forth in the Believer Christlike Graces of Character.
There is a singular charm, a charm that one can scarcely explain, in the words of Paul in Gal. v. 22, 23, R. V., "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance." What a catalogue we have here of lovely moral characteristics. Paul tells us that they are the fruit of the Spirit, that is, if the Holy Spirit is given control of our lives, this is the fruit that He will bear. All real beauty of character, all real Christlikeness in us, …
R. A. Torrey—The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit