What Is the Fruit of Gentleness?

The full article appears on the Ligonier website here.

To many, the idea of gentleness conveys a wimpy form of Christianity. Yet gentleness, the penultimate quality of the listed fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives, needs consideration. We learn from Scripture that it is essential to the life of the Christian, the leadership of the church, and the love of Christ.

A Fruit Essential to the Life of the Christian

The word translated gentleness in Galatians 5:22–23 means “meekness, mildness of disposition, tenderness in spirit.” The word James uses to describe the gentleness of heavenly wisdom means “reasonable, equitable, patiently hearing and deciding on a matter, not overly strict” (James 3:17). These qualities must be present in the life of the believer. Their absence indicates the presence of an evil substitute.

Have you considered what opposes gentleness? According to Scripture, unrighteous anger is its antithesis. 

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