In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he wrote with deep concern over how these followers of Christ were departing from the gospel of the grace of Christ and returning to legalism—a works-based approach to righteousness before God.
Righteous works are good. The question is whether those works flow from a transformed, spirit-led relationship with Jesus Christ or from merely following a prescribed list of “dos and don’ts.” How can we know which kind of life we are truly pursuing?
Both saved and unsaved people can perform good works, as evidenced by the many evil individuals throughout history who have still built hospitals, donated generously, or performed acts of kindness. Good works alone are not necessarily fruit. What about the miraculous? Even demons can perform miracles. Yet their fruit is unrighteous and deceptive.
Jesus taught that “fruit” is the true evidence of the nature of the tree. The fruit of the spirit is no different. When questioning whether I am truly walking with God, I need only examine my life in light of the fruit of the spirit. Fruit—not the miraculous—is the sure evidence of a life transformed by God.