Fruit is the visible expression of Christ’s life in a believer’s character, love, obedience, and service; it does not create life in Christ but grows from the rooted life He has given.
A branch bears fruit not by striving but by abiding — he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and the rest; it is Christ’s own life becoming visible in His people.
Fruit is therefore the evidence of rooted life, never its cause: a good tree brings forth good fruit, and the tree is known by what it bears.
See in Scripture: John 15:4–5; Galatians 5:22–23; Matthew 7:16–20; Philippians 1:11
See also: Good Works, Sanctification, Obedience, Transformation and Renewal, Union with Christ, Love