The Holy Spirit's Work in You

March 6, 2024

The “fruit of the Spirit” are the qualities that God puts in your life when the Holy Spirit lives through you: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

These are the qualities God wants to develop in you.

But, you don’t develop these through your own willpower. You don’t go out and say, “I’m going to be a more patient person!” That doesn’t work. Fruit can only come from the inside — the Holy Spirit living through you.

So, what does that look like? How do you “cooperate” or “partner with” the Holy Spirit?

Throughout the Bible we see an important truth illustrated over and over: The Holy Spirit releases his power the moment you take a step of faith. Obedience.

When Joshua was faced with an impassible barrier, the floodwaters of the Jordan River receded only after the leaders stepped into the rushing current in obedience and faith. Obedience unlocks God’s power.

Move ahead in your weakness, doing the right thing in spite of your fears and feelings. This is how you cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and it is how your character develops.

“Everything — and I do mean everything — connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it!” (Ephesians 4:22 MSG)

“Let the Spirit change your way of thinking” (Ephesians 4:23 CEV).

The Bible says we are “transformed” by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2 NIV).

When we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and obey him and allow him to change us from the inside out, we become more like Jesus. We think and act more like him. We aren't the same person we were before.

The Holy Spirit will make you…

More loving.

More joyful.

More peaceful.

More patience.

More kind.

More good.

More faithful.

More gentle.

And you will have more self-control.

This will be the Fruit, the evidence, for other's to see that you are a follower of Christ.