The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:19-23)
There are things in this world that we cannot see, but we can see the influence they have. For example, we cannot see the wind but we can watch the influence it has on the trees as the leaves move. The wind is made visible through the trees.
So it is with the Holy Spirit. We cannot see Him, but we can see His influence in our lives when we turn to God and receive the Holy Spirit. When I ask Jesus Christ to come into my life and give me eternal life, He gives me the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not an it, but a person. The Holy Spirit is God. (Acts 5:3-4) What does the Spirit look like? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When I reflect those attributes I am filled with the Holy Spirit. To be filled by the Spirit simply means that the Holy Spirit is in control of my life.
Imagine that the control of your life is represented by a chair that we will call the “Throne of your life.” Who is sitting on the throne and in control? There are only two options to choose from. Either your sinful nature is in control or the Holy Spirit is in control. The differences between each nature are described in the verses above. The influence they have in our lives is easily seen by those around us.
What qualities describe what you are feeling right now? Would you describe what is going on inside you as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Would others? If not, and you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you simply need to let the Spirit have control of your life. You can do this with a simple prayer:
“Father, I am sorry that I took over control of my life. Forgive me. I give you back control and ask that you will live through me and make yourself visible to those around me through my life.” Amen.