But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.-Galatians 5:22-25
You are saved by grace through faith. However, the evidence of your faith is manifested through the fruit of the Spirit. This is what Paul is trying to tell us in these 3 verses at the very end of his letter to the Galatian church. A letter that he wrote to hammer home the point that you are not saved by your works, because you cannot earn salvation. Rather salvation is a gift from God that receive by grace through faith. And once you have accepted God’s free gift of grace you will begin to see changes occur in your life. The things that once filled you with passion and desire will no longer fill you with passion and desire. Why? Because as soon as you acknowledge that you are a sinner in need for God’s saving grace and acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of your life, you are filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who moves within you and helps you to develop things like: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. It is the Holy Spirit who helps you on a daily basis crucify your sinful passions and desires. If you are a follower of Christ you have been called to live by the Spirit and in order to live by the Spirit you must keep in step with the Spirit, because the more you ignore the Spirit the less audible his guidance will be. Choose today to walk in the Spirit and let him begin to move in and change you life.