As Christians, we have been born into the Kingdom of God and filled with His Spirit. As Holy Spirit comes to live in our spirit, and He becomes our teacher, comforter, guide, and the voice of God. We become a new creation when He comes. No longer are we subject to a sinful nature, but the nature of God dwells within us. As a new creation, Holy Spirit gives us a gift of the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23,24 tells us about this. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.
You see, we have been given a great gift when we received Holy Spirit. He gives us the ability to operate as a new creation with the attributes of God! We must yield to His leading. It doesn’t happen automatically. Holy Spirit never controls us, rather, we allow Him to lead and guide us. Galatians 5:25 says, “If we claim to live by the Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit. We must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another.”
God supernaturally provided for us to walk as a representative of Jesus on the earth. God’s desire is that our lives reflect the life of Jesus. Others will watch to see who we are and how we conduct our lives. We will be known by the fruit that is displayed on our lives. Matthew 7:17-18 says, “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” We are recognized and identified by our fruit!
God’s first command is to love- to love God and to love others as we love ourselves. Mark 12:30-31 tells us, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the second: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater that these.” God requires that we love well, and then gives us the supernatural ability to walk in His love. Out of this love, we can walk in all the fruit of the spirit. We can walk in joy and peace, because our hearts are filled with Him. We can show others patience, kindness, and goodness. We can be known by our faithfulness to God and to others. And as we exhibit self-control, we reveal the work of God in our lives.
It is important that we remember that we have access to this supernatural life, but we must allow God through His spirit to change us, influence us and then reveal us to the world. God wants us to partner with Him to see the Kingdom of God be revealed here on earth. It can be revealed in each one of us, especially as we exhibit the fruit of the spirit.