Be Still And Know

Galatians 5:22-23 These beautiful spiritual qualities are the inevitable result of the Holy Spirit taking control of a person’s life. You can be sure of the genuineness of a person’s spiritual experience when you see these qualities flowing. It’s interesting that Paul speaks here of the fruit of the Holy Spirit but makes no mention of the gifts, which are also the result of the Spirit being at work in someone’s life. Perhaps the reason for this is that the gifts of the Spirit can be mimicked, but the fruit cannot. Jesus spoke of those who, on judgment day, would say: “Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.” And Jesus added that he would have to reply: “I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws” (Matthew 7:22-23). Nobody would doubt the beauty of the fruit of the Spirit. We all want our lives to be characterised by these beautiful qualities - but whether or not we display them is in our own hands. There need be no dou