December 10

Galatians 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

When we have an encounter with Christ, God saves us and sends His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. In speaking of the Holy Spirit to his disciples, Jesus said, “He dwelleth WITH you, and shall be IN you”, John 14:17. How will we KNOW if we have the Spirit of God dwelling within us? HOW will He manifest himself? His presence within results in the manifestations mentioned in our verse for today: “love, joy, peace longsuffering, gentleness, goodness and faith”. We don’t experience these blessings as a result of will power or strong resolution, but by walking in the Spirit; that is, by yielding all our thoughts and actions to the control of the Holy Spirit who dwells within every born again Christian; Paul calls this, “walking in the Spirit”, Galatians 5:16. There is a misapprehension that Christians should be long-faced and sad. Not so. Jesus said in John 15:11 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” The more we walk in obedience to Christ, the more we experience the love, joy and peace which are the fruits of the Spirit, and which will only grow and expand as eternity rolls on and on and on.

Commentary by Francis L. Harris

"...what must I do to be saved?" Acts 16:30