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7 Steps to Spiritual Growth Christian Living and Spiritual Growth

7 Steps to Spiritual Growth

Damian Alamba June 23, 2024

Photo credit: Pexels Spiritual growth is a supernatural journey that involves…

What is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit? - The Meaning, Purpose and How to Develop it Joy Photo Credit: Unsplash Thank God for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but you need both the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit to become a complete Christian in charisma and character. There are many Christians who demonstrate much of the gifts of the Holy Spirit but lack the true evidence of the fruit of the Spirit. That’s why you can see someone who speaks in tongues in the church but when you do business with him, he will defraud you. Lack of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of many Christians is what is giving the church a bad name in the world today. It’s becoming very difficult these days to differentiate between true Christians and fake. But by their fruit, you shall know them. If you want to improve your spiritual growth to become like Jesus Christ in character and charisma, this post is written just for you. In this post, I will explain to you in clear and practical terms from scriptural panorama the meaning of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the purpose of it, and how you can develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your own life. Please read every line carefully to the end. What is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit? The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the character, behavior, and lifestyle of the Holy Spirit which He imparts to the believer who submits his life to His leading. When a child of God allows the Holy Spirit to take control of his life, he will begin to see the fruit of the Spirit manifest in his words, thoughts, and actions day by day. Suffice it to add that Christianity is not a religion; it is the way of life of the Holy Spirit. You are not just a Christian because you go to church or attend Christian meetings. It doesn’t matter if your name is Christian or Jesus, as long as you don’t behave like the Holy Spirit, you are yet to become a Christian. Believers were first called Christians in Antioch because people saw them behaving like Christ. So Christianity is not a title but the character and way of life of the Holy Spirit. The bible says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22 There are 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit. They are: 1. Love 2. Joy 3. Peace 4. Longsuffering or Patience 5. Gentleness 6. Goodness 7. Faithfulness 8. Meekness or Humility 9. Temperance or Self-Control LOVE One significant characteristic of the Holy Spirit is love. The Holy Spirit does not have hatred in Him. He doesn’t keep malice. He is the Spirit of love. The Bible says that God is love. If God is love and God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one. Then the Holy Spirit is love. Pure, unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial love is the major characteristic of the Holy Spirit. When a believer yields his life to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God will pour out His love into the heart of the believer. And consequently, that one will become a person of love, just like the Holy Spirit. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:5 JOY Joy Photo Credit: Unsplash Another fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy. There is no bitterness or depression in the life of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is a joyful person. In the same way, when we yield our lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit, His joy will radiate in us. Joy is an indispensable character of the Spirit-filled believer. The potency of joy in the kingdom cannot be over-emphasized. The ATM card for every spiritual withdrawal from heaven is joy. With joy, you can draw water from the well of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). Joy makes a believer strong. When you are joyful, you are strong. But when you are sad and depressed, you are weak. The joy of the Lord is your strength. PEACE Peace is yet another fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is a peaceful person. He doesn’t look for trouble with others. He has been living and working together with the other members of the trinity without making trouble for billions and trillions of years. But some people cannot live in a street or neighborhood for one week without making trouble with other people. When we yield our lives to Him, He fills our heart and life with a peace that passes all understanding. The result is that we will live in peace with ourselves, God, and other people around us. LONGSUFFERING OR PATIENCE Another fruit of the Holy Spirit is Patience. The Holy Spirit is a patient person. When you yield your life to the Spirit of God and allow Him to work in you, patience will become your character. GENTLENESS The fruit of the Holy Spirit is gentleness. The Holy Spirit is not a harsh or brutal person. He is gentle in character. In the same way, when we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work in us, our character and behavior will become that of gentleness and tenderness. GOODNESS The fruit of the Holy Spirit is goodness. The Holy Spirit is a good person. He is not evil or wicked. He does good things and not bad. In the same way, when we surrender our lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit, our character will become good. Most people who are bad, evil, and wicked have not yielded their lives to the Spirit of God. The proof that you are anointed with the Holy Ghost is when you reach out to do good for God and humanity. FAITHFULNESS Another fruit of the Holy Spirit is faithfulness. The Holy Spirit is a faithful person. There is no falsehood, dishonesty, disloyalty, or rebellion in Him. When we yield ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit, our character will become that of faithfulness. It is required in stewardship that a man be found faithful. These days, it is hard to find faithful men. Only those who are led by the Holy Spirit can possess the character of faithfulness. MEEKNESS OR HUMILITY The fruit of the Holy Spirit is humility. The Holy Spirit is not a proud or arrogant person. He is very humble and meek. In the same way, when we yield ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will become humble and meek in character. Moses was once a cantankerous and arrogant man but he became the meekest man in his time when he yielded himself to the Holy Spirit. God will always resist the proud but He will give grace to the humble. Satan is a proud and arrogant person but the Holy Spirit is meek and humble. Please watch your life. SELF-CONTROL The fruit of the Holy Spirit is self-control. It is in the character of the Spirit to restrain and control Himself. You can control the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, but no mortal can control the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can control Himself. When a believer yields himself to the leading of the Holy Spirit, his behavior and character will become that of self-control. Can you imagine a moving car without steering and break? That vehicle is an accident waiting to happen. Self-control is very important in the life of a believer. A Christian who cannot control himself will be controlled by so many things (Proverbs 25:28). What is the Purpose of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit? There are many reasons why God wants us to have the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Some of them are: So we can become the light in a dark world- Matt 5:14 To make us good examples of our heavenly father- Matt 5:45 To equip us to destroy the works of the devil- 1 John 3:8 So that men will glorify the name of God- Matt 5:16 For us to have good success in life- Joshua 1:8 To help us live a happy life on earth- John 13:17 To qualify us to enjoy the blessings of God- Deut 28:1-13 To prepare us for eternity in heaven at last- Rev 22:12 How to Develop the Fruit of the Holy Spirit Consistently behold His glory in the mirror of His word- 2 Cor 3:18 As we behold His glory through His Word, we become the glory. The word of God has the latent ability to change us and transform our character to conform to the lifestyle of the Spirit. Therefore, make it a habit to read, study and meditate on the word of God. Have regular fellowship with the Holy Spirit in the place of prayer- 2 Cor 13:14 The grace to walk in love, joy, peace, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, meekness, patience and self-control is available in the place of prayer. The atmosphere of prayer is where the character of men is changed to align and conform to the lifestyle of the Holy Spirit. Be willing to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit- Job 36:11, Isaiah 1:18 To develop the character of the Spirit, you need to be willing to obey His voice at all times. The more you obey Him the easier your life will change to conform to His lifestyle. Let the living water flow over your soul daily through spiritual songs and worship-Ephesians 5:18-19 Another way to develop the character of the Holy Spirit is to dwell in the atmosphere of spiritual worship. Spiritual songs and worship turn on the flow of the living water. As you worship Him, your life is transformed into the same character of the Spirit of God. Totally surrender your life to be led by the Holy Spirit- Rom 8:14 As many that are led by the Holy Spirit, they are the ones who can behave like the Holy Spirit. Giving yourself away to the Spirit is a sure way to develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When your whole life is in His hands and under His control, you and the Holy Spirit will have the same character. Mind spiritual things and not carnal things- Rom 8:5-6 If you want to develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit, you have to fix your mind on spiritual things. Your priority every day will be to do things that will make the Holy Spirit happy. When you are mindful of spiritual things, your life will also go in the same direction. Anywhere your mind goes, that’s where your life will go. What your mind feeds on is what your character will showcase. Learn the character of the Spirit and exercise yourself daily in it- Heb 5:8, 1 Tim 4:7 Though Jesus was the son of God, he had to learn obedience when he came here on the earth. You too will have to learn love, joy, peace, patience, and the rest of them. It is an art and you have to learn them. The world heavyweight champion was not born with big muscles and large chests, he developed them through exercise. You too can develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit by exercising yourself unto godliness. Conclusion Every fruit has a seed. But until you cultivate and nurture the seed, there is no fruit. When you got born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, the seed of the Spirit was planted in your heart. It is now your responsibility to cultivate and nurture that seed to become the fruit that you seek. Was this post helpful? Your feedback and comment are most welcomed. Christian Living and Spiritual Growth

What is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit? - The Meaning, Purpose and How to Develop it Joy Photo Credit: Unsplash Thank God for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but you need both the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit to become a complete Christian in charisma and character. There are many Christians who demonstrate much of the gifts of the Holy Spirit but lack the true evidence of the fruit of the Spirit. That’s why you can see someone who speaks in tongues in the church but when you do business with him, he will defraud you. Lack of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of many Christians is what is giving the church a bad name in the world today. It’s becoming very difficult these days to differentiate between true Christians and fake. But by their fruit, you shall know them. If you want to improve your spiritual growth to become like Jesus Christ in character and charisma, this post is written just for you. In this post, I will explain to you in clear and practical terms from scriptural panorama the meaning of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the purpose of it, and how you can develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your own life. Please read every line carefully to the end. What is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit? The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the character, behavior, and lifestyle of the Holy Spirit which He imparts to the believer who submits his life to His leading. When a child of God allows the Holy Spirit to take control of his life, he will begin to see the fruit of the Spirit manifest in his words, thoughts, and actions day by day. Suffice it to add that Christianity is not a religion; it is the way of life of the Holy Spirit. You are not just a Christian because you go to church or attend Christian meetings. It doesn’t matter if your name is Christian or Jesus, as long as you don’t behave like the Holy Spirit, you are yet to become a Christian. Believers were first called Christians in Antioch because people saw them behaving like Christ. So Christianity is not a title but the character and way of life of the Holy Spirit. The bible says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22 There are 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit. They are: 1. Love 2. Joy 3. Peace 4. Longsuffering or Patience 5. Gentleness 6. Goodness 7. Faithfulness 8. Meekness or Humility 9. Temperance or Self-Control LOVE One significant characteristic of the Holy Spirit is love. The Holy Spirit does not have hatred in Him. He doesn’t keep malice. He is the Spirit of love. The Bible says that God is love. If God is love and God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one. Then the Holy Spirit is love. Pure, unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial love is the major characteristic of the Holy Spirit. When a believer yields his life to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God will pour out His love into the heart of the believer. And consequently, that one will become a person of love, just like the Holy Spirit. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:5 JOY Joy Photo Credit: Unsplash Another fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy. There is no bitterness or depression in the life of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is a joyful person. In the same way, when we yield our lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit, His joy will radiate in us. Joy is an indispensable character of the Spirit-filled believer. The potency of joy in the kingdom cannot be over-emphasized. The ATM card for every spiritual withdrawal from heaven is joy. With joy, you can draw water from the well of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). Joy makes a believer strong. When you are joyful, you are strong. But when you are sad and depressed, you are weak. The joy of the Lord is your strength. PEACE Peace is yet another fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is a peaceful person. He doesn’t look for trouble with others. He has been living and working together with the other members of the trinity without making trouble for billions and trillions of years. But some people cannot live in a street or neighborhood for one week without making trouble with other people. When we yield our lives to Him, He fills our heart and life with a peace that passes all understanding. The result is that we will live in peace with ourselves, God, and other people around us. LONGSUFFERING OR PATIENCE Another fruit of the Holy Spirit is Patience. The Holy Spirit is a patient person. When you yield your life to the Spirit of God and allow Him to work in you, patience will become your character. GENTLENESS The fruit of the Holy Spirit is gentleness. The Holy Spirit is not a harsh or brutal person. He is gentle in character. In the same way, when we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work in us, our character and behavior will become that of gentleness and tenderness. GOODNESS The fruit of the Holy Spirit is goodness. The Holy Spirit is a good person. He is not evil or wicked. He does good things and not bad. In the same way, when we surrender our lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit, our character will become good. Most people who are bad, evil, and wicked have not yielded their lives to the Spirit of God. The proof that you are anointed with the Holy Ghost is when you reach out to do good for God and humanity. FAITHFULNESS Another fruit of the Holy Spirit is faithfulness. The Holy Spirit is a faithful person. There is no falsehood, dishonesty, disloyalty, or rebellion in Him. When we yield ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit, our character will become that of faithfulness. It is required in stewardship that a man be found faithful. These days, it is hard to find faithful men. Only those who are led by the Holy Spirit can possess the character of faithfulness. MEEKNESS OR HUMILITY The fruit of the Holy Spirit is humility. The Holy Spirit is not a proud or arrogant person. He is very humble and meek. In the same way, when we yield ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will become humble and meek in character. Moses was once a cantankerous and arrogant man but he became the meekest man in his time when he yielded himself to the Holy Spirit. God will always resist the proud but He will give grace to the humble. Satan is a proud and arrogant person but the Holy Spirit is meek and humble. Please watch your life. SELF-CONTROL The fruit of the Holy Spirit is self-control. It is in the character of the Spirit to restrain and control Himself. You can control the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, but no mortal can control the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can control Himself. When a believer yields himself to the leading of the Holy Spirit, his behavior and character will become that of self-control. Can you imagine a moving car without steering and break? That vehicle is an accident waiting to happen. Self-control is very important in the life of a believer. A Christian who cannot control himself will be controlled by so many things (Proverbs 25:28). What is the Purpose of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit? There are many reasons why God wants us to have the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Some of them are: So we can become the light in a dark world- Matt 5:14 To make us good examples of our heavenly father- Matt 5:45 To equip us to destroy the works of the devil- 1 John 3:8 So that men will glorify the name of God- Matt 5:16 For us to have good success in life- Joshua 1:8 To help us live a happy life on earth- John 13:17 To qualify us to enjoy the blessings of God- Deut 28:1-13 To prepare us for eternity in heaven at last- Rev 22:12 How to Develop the Fruit of the Holy Spirit Consistently behold His glory in the mirror of His word- 2 Cor 3:18 As we behold His glory through His Word, we become the glory. The word of God has the latent ability to change us and transform our character to conform to the lifestyle of the Spirit. Therefore, make it a habit to read, study and meditate on the word of God. Have regular fellowship with the Holy Spirit in the place of prayer- 2 Cor 13:14 The grace to walk in love, joy, peace, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, meekness, patience and self-control is available in the place of prayer. The atmosphere of prayer is where the character of men is changed to align and conform to the lifestyle of the Holy Spirit. Be willing to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit- Job 36:11, Isaiah 1:18 To develop the character of the Spirit, you need to be willing to obey His voice at all times. The more you obey Him the easier your life will change to conform to His lifestyle. Let the living water flow over your soul daily through spiritual songs and worship-Ephesians 5:18-19 Another way to develop the character of the Holy Spirit is to dwell in the atmosphere of spiritual worship. Spiritual songs and worship turn on the flow of the living water. As you worship Him, your life is transformed into the same character of the Spirit of God. Totally surrender your life to be led by the Holy Spirit- Rom 8:14 As many that are led by the Holy Spirit, they are the ones who can behave like the Holy Spirit. Giving yourself away to the Spirit is a sure way to develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When your whole life is in His hands and under His control, you and the Holy Spirit will have the same character. Mind spiritual things and not carnal things- Rom 8:5-6 If you want to develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit, you have to fix your mind on spiritual things. Your priority every day will be to do things that will make the Holy Spirit happy. When you are mindful of spiritual things, your life will also go in the same direction. Anywhere your mind goes, that’s where your life will go. What your mind feeds on is what your character will showcase. Learn the character of the Spirit and exercise yourself daily in it- Heb 5:8, 1 Tim 4:7 Though Jesus was the son of God, he had to learn obedience when he came here on the earth. You too will have to learn love, joy, peace, patience, and the rest of them. It is an art and you have to learn them. The world heavyweight champion was not born with big muscles and large chests, he developed them through exercise. You too can develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit by exercising yourself unto godliness. Conclusion Every fruit has a seed. But until you cultivate and nurture the seed, there is no fruit. When you got born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, the seed of the Spirit was planted in your heart. It is now your responsibility to cultivate and nurture that seed to become the fruit that you seek. Was this post helpful? Your feedback and comment are most welcomed.

Damian Alamba June 23, 2024

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