Article - Power from on High pt 2

Power from On High pt 2

Last week we discovered the amazing truth that God has chosen to literally live inside everyone who has put their trust in Jesus Christ. When a person trusts in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and accepts Him as the rightful boss of their life, they become a member of God’s family and someone who God lives within through the Holy Spirit.

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But how can you tell if this has actually taken place? It’s not as if Christians walk around with a halo or a permanent glow that shows there’s something special going on inside them! The Bible describes 2 ways that the Holy Spirit can be seen in the lives of God’s people. The first is what is commonly called “The Fruit of the Spirit”, and the second is called “The Gifts of the Spirit”.

The Fruit of the Spirit

The term “fruit of the Spirit” simply describes the sorts of characteristics that should be on display when the Holy Spirit lives within someone. One list, found in the book of Galatians chapter 5, names these: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Throughout the New Testament of the Bible in particular we find other descriptions of the sorts of lives that Christians ought to be living and the sorts of characteristics we should be displaying. Just as you can tell an apple tree because you see apples on it, so you should be able to identify someone who God lives inside because of the godly characteristics of their lives. If the label on a tree read “Apple”, but you could see lemons growing on it, you would be a little concerned! So it is with Christians – if our lives are showing “fruit” that don’t match up with the goodness of God’s character, then something is wrong. I’ll talk more on that later.

The Gifts of the Spirit

The fruit of the Spirit are intended for every single Christian. Everyone who God lives within should be displaying His characteristics. However, God has made each of us differently on purpose. We are not all the same, nor should we try to be. As part of our different-ness, God gives unique gifts to His children. Some people are given the ability to teach and explain truths clearly and effectively. Some are given an increased sensitivity to the needs of those around them. Others are given a knack for practical service. The Bible records times when people were given the ability to speak in languages they had never learnt before, or the ability to foretell future events. There are all sorts of ways that the Holy Spirit has worked within people to enable them to do things that they would not have been able to do as well or at all if He did not provide that ability.

It Won’t Happen Overnight…

Just because Christians have the incredible power of the Holy Spirit living within them doesn’t mean that all of a sudden they have all the fruit of the Spirit, or necessarily start using the gifts of the Spirit perfectly either. God does not control His children the way a puppet-master might. We still make mistakes, we still make bad choices, we still continue some bad habits that we have picked up in life. Christianity is a journey of learning to live in step with the Spirit – learning to listen to His quiet voice within and to allow Him to guide and empower our daily lives.

God has provided some additional resources – the Bible and the Church – to help us to learn to live by the power of the Holy Spirit instead of by our own desires and abilities. In many ways it does not come naturally to us, but we are learning! So don’t expect Christians to be perfect, but expect that we should be changing to be more like the God that we talk about. If you are a Christian, remember the incredible gift that you have been given - salvation through Jesus Christ and membership in God’s eternal family. That gift carries with it the responsibility to live as a member of God’s family and not like someone who does not know God.

Mike Birch