Galatians 5:22, 23
What does it take to make you change from where you are to something better?
Galatians 5:22, 23 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
God uses a process to produce those nine characteristics in our lives.
Philippians 2:12-13 “Work out your own salvation. For it is God who works in you.”
"Work for your salvation."
You work it out, meaning to cultivate and develop it.
#1. God uses the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (LB) “The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and helps us to do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well-prepared at every point.”
#2. God uses the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:11 “Once the Spirit lives within you, He will bring to your whole being new strength and vitality.”
1 Corinthians 3:18 (LB) “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him.”
God's ways of changing you are through the Bible and the power of the Holy Spirit.
#3. God uses circumstances.
Romans 8:28-29 (PH) “To those who love God and are called according to His plans, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. For God chose us to bear the family likeness of His Son.”
He still will use it to fit His pattern of spiritual growth in your life.
Proverbs 20:30 (GN) “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.”
Spiritual fruit does not just happen.
1. You can choose what you think about.
“You’re not what you think you are, but what you think - you are.”
Ephesians 4:23-24 “Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way.”
Romans 12:2 “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
If your mind is doing what God created it to do, the joy of the Lord will be your strength.
He says when you know the truth, the truth will set you free.
When you change your thoughts, it will change the way you feel.
“I meditate on your Word day and night.”
Meditation is thought digestion.
True, just, honorable, and of good report.
Colossians 3:16 “Let the Word of God dwell in you richly.”
2. You can choose to depend on the Holy Spirit.
The branch is dependent on the vine.
You must be connected to God.
To be aware that God is always with you, you practice His presence.
3. You can choose your response to life.
He said they could not take his freedom to choose his attitude.
Every situation will either make you bitter or better .
“In life it’s not so much what happens to us, but what happens in us.”
God produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives by allowing us to experience many different challenges.
Love.
Joy.
Peace.
Patience.
Kindness.
Faithfulness.
He wants you to depend on your faith.
Goodness.
Gentleness.
Self-control.
There’s no such thing as instant maturity.