How to develop the fruits of the Spirit?

C

canuckj

Protestant
Heritage
I have had a long and struggling relationship with God and am trying to follow Jesus as best as I can. My faith has grown and recently I have made strides in resisting sin in my life. I have seen some real change and am now able to forgive where once it was impossible (I posted about this on the old Roosh V forum). Some of this growth is due to an experience I had about a year ago (at a very low point) when I repented, surrendered my life and forgave others, while some is due to the influence of a young woman (whom I am in a relationship with) and her brother and their example and prayers.

I still struggle with getting mad about things and sometimes it just happens and I slip up. I know the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Gal 5:22-23). I want all of this. I am praying, reading God's word and attend church. I also know God has to change me. Is there anything else I should be doing to accelerate this process?
 
I once struggled with unforgiveness but God has delivered me from it. I still struggle with anger but not like I used to, God has given me joy and peace, not joy and peace in anything, but true joy and true peace in Him.

I am encouraged to see that you desire to be ever-conformed into the image of Christ. I encourage you to keep doing what you're doing and have patience with your sanctification in the Lord. Patience is itself a fruit of the Spirit. Remember that God is the one who causes you to will and to work according to His good pleasure. He is the one who began this good work in you. He is the one who will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.
 
I really like John 15 for this topic. The passage lays out a chain of logic that shows how it works. Now I will say that this passage only speaks of bearing fruit generally, and I'm not certain is this is exactly the same as the fruits of the Spirit you listed from Galatians 5. I think they are, but there might be a distinction.

In John 15, Jesus says "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

We bear fruit by remaining in Christ, and He in us, We can't bear fruit without this.

Then He says “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. "

We remain in His love if we keep His commandments, so keep His commandments to bear fruit.

Then He says further "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. "

So, if we remain in Christ, and obey His commands to love one another, He will bear fruit through us that we could not bear ourselves. We can't make ourselves bear fruit by trying harder to do so. We just focus on remaining in Him and loving one another, and Christ bears the fruit through us. Similarly, the point of Galatians 5 is that we should walk by the Spirit and will thereby bear the fruit of the Spirit.
 
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