Reference: Galatians 5:22-23
If a survey was to be taken to find outhow many people confess to be born again christians, I would say that thegreatest majority of people would say that they are. It is of course anestablished fact that it's very simple to be a christian, but what most peoplefail to realize and understand is that in order to be a child of God then wemust be obedient to the revealed word of God contained in the gospel of JesusChrist. I would say that the greatest majority of people are one hundredpercent ignorant of what a true christian is and what the truth is that willset them free. Most people get the idea that to become a christian all that isnecessary to do is to confess to the fact that they have accepted Christ astheir personal Lord and Saviour. What most people are totally ignorant of isthe fact that to be a true born again child of God consists of more than justsaying that you are one. To say you are a born again child of God and toactually be one is a very much different thing all together. I want you tonotice in the above verse of scriptures found in the book of Galatians, writtenby the apostle Paul, that the fruits of the Spirit that are mentioned meansthat if you have these manifestations in your life that this is the proof thatthe Holy Spirit is in your heart and life. Most people today think they havethe Holy Spirit in their lives based on the fact that they have accepted Christas Lord and Saviour, or that they have spoken in tongues like the disciples didon the day of Pentecost.
If you say that you have the Holy Ghost because of thefact that you claimed to have spoken in tongues then you are basing yourevidence on something that the Bible absolutely does not back up. The HolyGhost can only be proven to be in your heart and life if the manifested worksmentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 are prevalent in your life. If you have the nine mentionedfruits being manifested in your life then this is the evidence that the Spiritof God dwells in and through your mortal being. Take a good long and sincerelook at the mentioned manifestations of the fruits and tell yourself if you canthat these all are in your life. Can you say that the fruits of the Spirit arein your life or do you have to admit to the fact that the works of the fleshare yet being manifested in your flesh? The works of the flesh are stated in Galatians 5:19-21which are : adultery, fornication, uncleaness, lasciviousness, idolatry,witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,envyings, murders, drunkeness, revellings, and such like.... Now can youhonestly say that none of the mentioned manifestations are being revealed inand through your flesh? Do you have any hatred in your heart toward anybodywhen they may do you wrong in any way? Do you have a little streak of jealousyin you when you see someone that may have a little more than you do in worldlygoods? What about your temper? Do you get so mad at someone that you may havethought evil things against them in your heart when they may have done youwrong? Do you have bitterness in your heart against people that rub you thewrong way? Can you love someone that utterly hates and despises you? Do youseek revenge toward someone or do you let God take revenge? Are you aware ofwhat all the works of the flesh are? Did you know that emulation is a desire oran ambition to equal or to surpass someone?? This means that if you try to outdo someone or to be like they are then you are guilty of emulation which is oneof the manifested works of the flesh. If you are the type that tries to keep upwith the Jones then you are committing the act of emulation. What are yourthoughts toward your friends when you find out they have a better automobilethan you have? If your friends have anything that is better than what you havedo you try to equal or surpass them? If you do then you manifest the works ofthe flesh called emulation. Are you guilty of variance? Varianceis being disagreeable with someone and enjoying arguing about it. The definitionfor the word variance is to be changeable. To be changeable means that you arenot the same all the time. A variant person changes his or her mind veryquickly not giving the matter a proper time of thought. A variant person cannotbe depended on because of the fact they change their mind too easily. Do youmanifest the fleshly works of sedition? Sedition means that you areeager to stir up trouble. Do you like to argue with someone that differs withyour way of thinking about spiritual matters? A seditious person likes to stirup trouble thinking this is being persecuted for Christ's sake. The Bible saysto use meekness with someone that opposes themselves. If you like arguing withsomeone that you may think is wrong about spiritual matters then you aremanifesting the works of sedition. Do you manifest the works of heresy? Heresy is to teach something contrary to thetruth. If what you are teaching cannot be proven to be scriptural sounddoctrine then you are guilty of heresy. The Pentecostals cannot show onescripture saying that tongues are the initial evidence that one has receivedthe Holy Ghost, but yet they teach it. The word of God must state a statementor else it is heresy. Heresy is one's own opinion or interpretation. Are youguilty of strife? Strife is contention with another. Why argue withsomeone that doesn't want to receive truth? If you keep on arguing in acontentious manner then you are manifesting the fleshly works called strife.Are you an envious person? Envy is to dislike someone because theypossess more than you do etc. An envious person is kissing cousins to a jealousperson. If you wish you had what someone else may possess then you are anenvious person. Many people know they cannot have what others have and thisfeeling causes them to envy them or dislike them. Take a real good look at thefruits of the Spirit and you will find that they are directly opposite to theworks of the flesh. A person filled with the Holy Ghost is a person thatmanifests the fruits of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc. These manifestedfruits can only be perfected in you by your receiving and walking in the lightof the truth of God's holy and righteous word revealed in the gospel of theLord Jesus Christ. Your obedience to truth will perfect the fruits in you andwill mortify the works of the flesh. You are told to crucify the flesh with itslusts and desires, but if you do not walk in the light of the truth then youwill be taken out of the vine and you will wither and die spiritually. It's justas easy to die a spiritual death as it is to grow strong spiritually. Yourfailure to receive and walk in the light will cause God to remove you from hispresence. The fruit of love goes way beyond the natural love. The love of Godis a love for his word desiring it more than anything else. You can't love Godand fail to receive truth and walk in it. The truth will be contrary to theflesh and for this cause many will fail to receive it. The light will bedespised by most people. Jesus said that men love darkness more than light.They would have to change their way of life and this they are not about to do.If you truly love God then you will be more than willing to receive and obeyhis word of the gospel. You are deceiving yourself if you are rejectingtruth.......