Why, he lacked the very essence of the spirit’s fruitage, unselfish love. (Mark 10:17-22) Come, now! Let us be honest with ourselves and humble before Jehovah. Every one of us should put himself alongside his brothers at Ephesus to whom Paul wrote: “Put away the old personality [the old egotistical self] which conforms to your former course of conduct and which is being corrupted according to his deceptive desires; but . . . be made new in the force actuating your mind, and . . . put on the new personality which was created [not self-developed] according to God’s will in true righteousness and loving-kindness.”—Eph. 4:22-24, NW.

Walking in Good Behavior

“Let us walk in good behavior.”—Rom. 13:13, NW.

1. Wherein do we find the source and the channel of the spirit’s fruitage” How should an appreciation of this affect us?

WHAT has been discussed so far respecting the spirit’s fruitage in general, and concerning love in particular, also applies to the other things mentioned. In each instance these other qualities are first seen to inhere in Jehovah in superlative excellence. They are also seen in his beloved Son, Christ Jesus, in full perfection. And as, through an accurate knowledge of the truth, we see what a marvelous demonstration of these qualities has been given by Jehovah in all of his dealings, so we come to admire them and in every instance want to “become imitators of God, as beloved children, and go on walking” in them, manifesting them in our dealings, too, with all with whom we come in contact. As Paul said at the end of his letter to the Galatians: “As long as we have time favorable for it, let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.”—Eph. 5:1, 2; Gal. 6:10, NW.

2. Why is love mentioned first in the list at Galatians 5:22, 23?

² Let us, then, take a brief look at these other qualities, all comprising the fruitage of the spirit. There is no question, however, that “the greatest of these is love.” It is the all-essential mainspring, without which the others cannot genuinely exist or operate. We shall consider them as listed by the apostle, though they do not appear to follow any particular sequence, for they are mentioned time and again in varying order throughout the Christian Greek Scriptures.—1 Cor. 13:1-3, 13, NW.

JOY

3. What authority or reason is given for the close connection between joy and God’s organization?

³ Joy is first mentioned after love, and where are we going to find joy today and how are we going to find the best opportunity of bearing this fruit? There is only the one answer, and that is, in Jehovah’s organization, Zion, wherein his own loving heart finds joyful satisfaction. Does not the prophecy of Zephaniah call upon those in Zion to “be glad and rejoice with all