Grace + ForgivenessSample

What is the result of true faith?

True faith will result in transformed living as the Holy Spirit works in us to make us like Jesus.

What happens when Jesus forgives us of our sins? Do we become perfect people overnight? Well, no. But shouldn’t we expect our lives to change?

The answer is a resounding yes!

But don’t worry. You don’t do this in your own strength. That’s why God gives you the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will go to work on your heart and make you more like Jesus.

In Galatians 5:22, Paul puts it like this: the Holy Spirit gives you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These characteristics are often called the fruit of the Spirit, as a reminder that they are the product of the Spirit’s presence in our lives. 

Again, remember, you don’t have to work these up in your own strength. And don’t be too hard on yourself if the results aren’t immediate. The process of sanctification takes time. And sometimes on our journey, we take one step forward and then two steps backward.

And that’s okay too because God loves us and forgives us! And the Holy Spirit will pick us up, dust us off, and go to work on our hearts again to produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Spend some time today asking God to remind you of the ways you have displayed the fruit of the Spirit and to fill you with his strength and power to reflect him even more clearly.