Without the Holy Spirit in your life, it is impossible to exhibit real, 100% fruit! Just like the ingredients list for a Watermelon Jolly Rancher doesn’t include any actual watermelon, an unbeliever can only mimic what they think is real.
But someone who possesses the Holy Spirit possesses His fruit! That means that you have real, 100% love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is now part of your very core (pun intended). This is why you feel rotten when you behave opposite of this fruit. It’s not who you are anymore.
Our minds (part of our flesh) are often still tricked into thinking that we want to sin. Sin does exist in our flesh, but not in our spirit. The flesh and spirit are now at battle (Romans 7:14-20). This is why Paul urges us to “...be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1).” Our hearts have been made new. Our minds must be renewed to match. In James 1:24, we’re compared to people who look in a mirror, walk away, and immediately forget what they look like. We must constantly look into the mirror of truth that reflects our new identity in Christ so that when we walk away and we’re tempted to act un”fruity” we will remember who we are. So renew your minds with the truth that you are new (2 Cor. 5:17), that you are right with God (Rom. 5:1), and that you are filled with His fruit (Gal. 5:22-23)!
Now that is something sweet you can chew on!
