[God] made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. – 2 Corinthians 3:6
The Holy Spirit within us makes life real; life comes alive. When we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer, life is no longer simply theology. The theology in our heads becomes real in our lives, drawing us closer to God through the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit takes over, we begin to grow. The Holy Spirit becomes power source behind this growth so that it eventually becomes evident.
The deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:19-23).
The Holy Spirit is the divine enabler who produces growth in us. Every time we try to grow without depending on God, we work against Him. Many of us spend much of our time shutting God out. We’re trying to produce fruit on our own.
However, when we abide in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit is the dominant influencer in our life, the fruit of the Spirit develops naturally.
