Living by the Spirit
Nothing else is needed.
As a people, God offers us salvation through Jesus Christ. We are made right before God because of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
There is no work one can do to earn their way into the kingdom of God. It is only through Christ.
This is the gospel.
Once we surrender our life to God, He does not leave us to our own devices. He helps and guides us along the way. The Holy Spirit indwells us to lead us each day. God is always with us.
The outworking of the Holy Spirit is the character of how we are to live and love one another.
In his letter to the churches in Galatia, Paul warned them about false teachers distorting the gospel. Paul stressed justification by faith and freedom in Christ. The law, rules, and rituals of the Old Testament could not bind them because of the work of Christ. Living by the Spirit helps us to serve those around us and glorify God in the process.
What does living by the Spirit look like?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” Galatians 5:22-24 ESV
Jesus told His disciples that He wanted them to bear fruit. (John 15). When you think of a fruit tree or any plant, it grows, and when it grows, it produces. Jesus wanted His disciples to grow.
What does that growth look like ?Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22-24.
“The “fruit of the Spirit” listed in our passage has to do with character (Gal. 5:22-23). It is important that we distinguish the gift of the Spirit, which is salvation (Acts 2.38; 11:17), and the gifts of the Spirit, which have to do with service (1 Cor. 12), from the Galatians 5-6 graces of the Spirit, which relate to Christian character…….The characteristics that God wants in our lives are seen in the ninefold fruit of the Spirit.” (Wiersbe, 2003)
As we grow in our walk with God, the Holy Spirit will lead us as we grow in the Word of God and apply God’s Word to our lives. The Word can change us and shape our character so that we can be more like Christ to the people in our lives.
So, what should the fruit of the Spirit look like in the life of a believer?
Walk with me as we examine in the upcoming weeks how the Spirit produces each “fruit” in our lives.
Reference
The Wiersbe Bible Commentary By Warren W. Wiersbe (2003)
