“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Gal 5:22
I use to often wonder what this means, “The fruit of the Spirit” was it a statement about the moral strength developed by the power of the Spirit? The nine-character qualities are a unity, a perfectly formed Christlike character. Paul in this verse has expressed his desire to see Christ formed in the Galatian believers (4:19). Now he describes what they will be like when that formation is complete. These character qualities are not a new list of laws or moral codes that must be kept; they are the result of living and being led by the wind of the Spirit.
Have you ever put your hand in front of a fan when it was turned on? Did you feel or see a little gentle wind? Thinking to myself! who feels or sees puffs of air from a fan? Wind is invisible. You know you feel it but how can you prove it’s really there to someone who doesn’t believe you? Could a pinwheel in front of a fan help? Putting the pinwheel in front of the fan now you can see that there is a wind because it turns the pinwheel.
Wind cannot be seen, but its effects can be felt and heard — just like the Holy Spirit. The only way you can “see” the wind outside is by what it moves-trees, windsocks, or flags, for instance. When they are moving you know there’s a wind. Did you know that the original name for the Holy Spirit was wind? That’s right. The old Hebrew word for spirit means wind. We cannot see Him, but we can feel the effects of His presence and His power. On the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:2 says, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” If we look at the comparison of wind to the Holy Spirit in this verse we see what can be learned about why the Spirit came in this manner on the Day of Pentecost and what this means to you and me.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you are bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
We read in the New Testament that when Jesus left earth and the Holy Spirit came there was a mighty wind. We also know that when you believe in Jesus and accept him as your Savior, his Holy Spirit lives inside of you. I hope you feel God’s Holy Spirit close to you, loving and helping you. One of the hardest things to do is let others see God in us. How can you and I prove that Jesus is inside of us, that his Holy Spirit is blowing through us? It’s like the problem we had to prove there was a breeze coming from the fan. The moving pinwheel showed there was a breeze. Our actions prove that God’s Holy Spirit is in us. He makes us kind, considerate, joyful, and patient, and will also give us many other good qualities. Even though others can’t see God, when they see these good qualities in us they will be seeing God at work.
But you, my friends, keep on building yourselves up on your most sacred faith. Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit (Jude 1:20)
Obedience to God is how the filling of the Spirit is maintained. Ephesians 5:18 commands that we be filled with the Spirit; however, it is not praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit that accomplishes the filling. Only our obedience to God's commands allows the Spirit freedom to work within us. Because we are still infected with sin, it is impossible to be filled with the Spirit all of the time. When we sin, we should immediately confess it to God and renew our commitment to being Spirit-filled and Spirit-led.
Peter said to them, “Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God’s gift, the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
Let’s shamelessly speak out that we will not be satisfied until a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit has blown upon us to give divine life and pleasing energy. Without this life, we can only do what human power can do, but when the Spirit blows His marvelous wind upon us, suddenly I/you am empowered to do what we could have never done before. Daily — right now joining Jesus on his mission — I am opening myself to challenge you to join in on the rushing mighty wind of the Holy Spirit. Acknowledging that we are ready recipient’s, and we are readily receiving a fresh intentional awareness of this divine wind to empower us for God’s service.
God Bless You and This Ministry!
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