Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit - by Christopher J H Wright (Paperback)

About the Book

How should Christians live? Some Christians stress the importance of keeping all the rules, while others see the Christian faith as setting us free from religious burdens. Inviting us to live a life in step with the Spirit, Christopher Wright teaches us how to feed on the Word of God, grow in Christlikeness, and live a fruitful life.

Book Synopsis

How should Christians live?On the one hand, some very legalistic Christians stress the importance of keeping all the rules-that you must do this and never do that if you want to prove you are really a Christian. On the other hand, there are those who reject the whole idea of rules or traditions in the church and see the point of the Christian faith as setting us free from the institutionalized religious burden. But Paul addresses these two competing views by showing us a far better way-a truly Christian way to live our lives. It is the way of the Spirit of God given to us through Christ: "Walk by the Spirit . . . led by the Spirit . . . live by the Spirit . . . keep in step with the Spirit." That is the heart and soul of Christian living. It is the center and secret of what it means to be a person who belongs to Christ.Pastor and scholar Christopher Wright invites us to live a life in step with the Spirit by cultivating the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These nine chapters, each addressing a different fruit, each conclude with questions for contemplation or discussion. Feed on the Word of God, grow in Christlikeness, and live a fruitful life.

Review Quotes

"Prepare for those 'aha!' moments and a few shouts of 'of course!' as Chris Wright takes us on a biblical journey, straightforward and deep, into the fruit of the Spirit. With his characteristic balance of profundity and simplicity, Chris offers a stirring view of the transforming impact of Scripture as it reveals the fruit of the Spirit. And Chris roots us in the whole understanding of these dynamic truths by connecting the fruit of the Spirit with needed yet often overlooked context from the Old Testament. Encouragement jumps out from the pages of this book as readers are reminded of how our ordinary lives bear the mark of Christ's love and how giants of the faith like John Stott applied such truth via daily prayer, to 'cause your fruit to ripen in my life.'"

"Scholarly in nature, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit is bound to appeal to a more cerebral audience. Pastors and laypeople alike, however, have much to glean from this original work."

"Several years ago I had the pleasure of discussing Ephesians with Chris Wright at his kitchen table. We sat with Bibles open, notes strewn everywhere, and a pot of tea. Chris's love for God, his scholarly expertise, and easy manner made for a delightful and enriching afternoon. Through this book, Chris invites you to join him as well. Rarely is the wisdom of a theologian of such caliber this accessible. So grab your Bible, pull up a seat, and explore what the Scripture has to say about life in the Spirit."

"Wright (The Mission of God), international ministries director of Langham Partnership, serves as a sage guide to the fruits of the Holy Spirit as documented in the letters of St. Paul. Wright's scripture scholarship is on full display as he helps Christians delve more deeply into biblical texts for general edification and to learn fundamental life lessons. . . . Christians hoping to deepen their biblical knowledge and faith lives will find much to appreciate here."

About the Author

Christopher J. H. Wright (PhD, Cambridge) is international ministries director of the Langham Partnership, providing literature, scholarships, and preaching training for pastors in Majority World churches and seminaries. He has written many books including commentaries on Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Ezekiel; The Mission of God; Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit; Old Testament Ethics for the People of God; and the three volumes of Knowing God Throughthe Old Testament. An ordained priest in the Church of England, Chris spent five years teaching the Old Testament at Union Biblical Seminary in India and thirteen years as academic dean and then principal of All Nations Christian College, an international training center for crosscultural mission in England. He was chair of the Lausanne Theology Working Group from 2005 to 2011 and the chief architect of The Cape Town Commitment from the Third Lausanne Congress, 2010.