Beliefs or behaviour?

Gal 5:22-23 -  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

One of the saddest thing in Christendom today is that in spite of being born in a christian home, attending church for more than ten years and sometimes holding spiritual positions, our behavior is a far cry from what the Apostle Paul writes in the above verses. No matter how many beliefs we hold and profess to confess, it makes no sense if it does not result in a change in behavior. More often than not, the traits of the flesh, Gal 5:19-21 - sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like are more visible than the fruit of the Spirit.

A change in the behavior (external) can only take place if there is a change in the character (internal). The molding of the character is dependent on what is being fed to the spiritual man through the windows of the soul. We are constantly being bombarded by so many things in this world. Sex, worry, fear, hatred, anger,death and the more we allow these things to feed our spiritual man the more the works of the flesh will result. That's why its so important  to guard what we watch on television and the internet and what we read. Constantly viewing phonographic sites will eventually result in a "conditioned behavior", where even without you wanting it, your internal dispositions lends a propensity for more. It becomes an automatic response. That's how bondage are developed. Nothing happens overnight. The devil cannot put you in bondage unless you allow him to do so.

How can we then develop a behavior that bears the fruit of the Spirit?


  • Abide in Christ.   John 15:4 - Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
 How do we abide in Christ?

It is a consistent, regular fellowship with God. Most of the time our relationship with God is in the morning, during the quiet time (if any) and at night , before retiring to bed. In between God or even the mention of God, does not surface at all. We have to attend to so many other things. That is why to break this cycle, Daniel prayed three times daily. Abiding in Christ involves:
  •  Meditate on His word.   Psalms 1:2-3 - but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,  which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.
  • Keep His commandments.   John 15:10 - If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, Joshua 1:8 - Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
  •  Develop a habit of regular prayer.   Eph 6:17-18 - and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. For many of us prayer is just saying a few words in the morning and night before going to bed. During the rest of the day, the mention of God does not surface. Daniel had a regular habit if praying three times day. Prayer helps us to focus on God and instills in us a sense of reverence and holy fear. It makes us rely on God's grace and mercy.
The more you feed and meditate on God's Word, the more time you spent n His presence, the more you will be changed from glory to glory, from strength to strength, The more the fruit of the Spirit will be visible. 
And be-warned, this is a daily process. Luke 9:22 - Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me"

The mark of a man is not his calling, not his charisma, not his charity, not his chattels but his character.

Has my walk with the Lord over the last many years made me more like Him. If not we are just fooling ourselves

 Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me
Break me, melt me, mould me, fill me
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me

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