What Is Produced in You
There's something profound about standing at the intersection of two of Christianity's most pivotal moments—the birth of Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection. Every spiritual truth we embrace hinges on one of these foundational events. Without the miracle in the manger, we cannot experience the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives.
The birth of the Savior wasn't just a historical event to commemorate once a year. It was the beginning of God's answer to humanity's deepest problem—our inability to overcome sin through our own efforts.
The Mirror That Cannot Clean
For centuries, the law functioned like a mirror. It showed people exactly what was wrong, revealing every flaw and failure with perfect clarity. But here's the limitation: a mirror can show you dirt on your face, but it cannot clean you. You can stare at your reflection all day long, but your face won't get any cleaner just by looking.
The law operated the same way. It revealed sin with precision but was powerless to cleanse it. It pointed people toward their need for something—or rather, Someone—greater than themselves.
For over 400 years, God had been silent. The people of Israel lived under Roman oppression, waiting for their Messiah. They expected a conquering hero, a military deliverer who would overthrow their enemies and restore their kingdom. They weren't looking in a feeding trough. They weren't expecting a baby born in the humblest circumstances imaginable.
But that's exactly where God showed up.
The Battle Within
The reality is that we cannot please God without the Holy Spirit. Our sin nature constantly pulls us toward disobedience. Every single person carries this nature from birth. We see it in toddlers who look you straight in the eye and push their plate off the high chair, fully aware they shouldn't. We see it in teenagers who defiantly refuse simple instructions. We see it in ourselves when we know what's right but choose what's wrong.
There's a constant struggle between what we want to do, what we ought to do, and what we actually end up doing. This tension exists because our flesh and the Holy Spirit are in direct opposition to one another.
When we talk about "flesh," we're not just referring to our physical bodies. Anything we trust in place of God becomes part of our flesh. Good works, religious traditions, personal achievements—if we're placing our confidence in these things rather than in Christ alone, we're walking according to the flesh.
The Fruit of the Flesh
Galatians 5 provides a sobering list of what the flesh produces: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, and carousing.
These aren't just abstract concepts. They're real struggles that manifest in everyday life. Road rage when someone drives too slowly. Jealousy when someone else receives recognition. Anger that erupts over minor inconveniences. Entertainment choices that normalize what God calls sin. Horoscopes read "just for fun" that gradually become daily consultations.
The world has been moving steadily toward moral uncleanness, especially regarding sexual ethics. What began as a "free love" movement decades ago has evolved into a complete lack of moral restraint. Every form of media seems to celebrate what Scripture clearly identifies as sin.
We create idols without even realizing it—things we turn to for joy, comfort, and peace instead of turning to God. Television shows, traditions, possessions, even our own plans and ambitions can become idols when they take priority over our relationship with the Creator.
Here's the critical distinction: Christians may occasionally stumble into these sins. We mess up. Our sin nature trips us up. But there's a difference between stumbling and practicing. Living habitually in these sins, practicing them as a lifestyle, indicates an unchanged heart.
Think of it like a field. A healthy field may have some weeds, but a field completely overrun with weeds reveals neglect. Christians stumble, but a life dominated by sin points to something deeper—a heart that may never have truly surrendered to Christ.
The Beautiful Fruit of the Spirit
The contrast is stunning. While the flesh produces a chaotic list of destructive behaviors, the Spirit produces something entirely different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Notice something important—the word "fruit" is singular, not plural. These aren't multiple separate fruits but rather layers of a single fruit of the Spirit. They build upon one another in beautiful progression.
When you truly experience God's love—when you know deep in your soul that you are loved by the Creator of the universe—joy naturally follows. How can you not have joy when you're secure in that love?
And when you have joy, peace comes. You don't have to worry or rush because God has you. You can rest in His sovereignty.
Peace produces patience. When you're at peace, you're not frustrated by delays or inconveniences. You can extend patience to others because you're not anxious about your circumstances.
Patience leads to kindness. Most anger and harshness come from impatience. When you're patient, you naturally become kinder in your interactions.
Kindness grows into goodness—not just being nice, but actively doing good things for others.
Goodness develops faithfulness—remaining committed to what God has called you to do, even when it's difficult.
Faithfulness cultivates gentleness—a spirit that's strong yet tender, firm yet compassionate.
And all of this culminates in self-control—the ability to govern your impulses, desires, and reactions according to God's will rather than your flesh.
This is what we desperately need. Most sin happens because we lack self-control. We know what's right, but in the moment, we choose what feels good.
The Critical Truth
Here's what we must understand: we cannot produce this fruit through our own effort. You can't study hard enough, try hard enough, or work hard enough to manufacture love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in your life.
It's called the fruit of the Spirit for a reason—not the fruit of your trying or the fruit of your struggling. This is what the Holy Spirit produces in you as you surrender to His work.
But surrender doesn't mean passivity. We're called to strive for faithful obedience to what God calls us to do. We cooperate with the Spirit's work by choosing obedience, by crucifying our flesh daily, by walking in step with Him.
The question isn't whether you've heard this message before. Many people can recite spiritual truths without experiencing spiritual transformation. The real question is: what will you do with what you've heard?
Will you allow it to travel the crucial distance from your head to your heart? Will you take that first step of surrender? Will you say yes to Jesus and allow Him to begin the beautiful, challenging, transforming work of producing His fruit in your life?
The choice is yours. He's offering His hand, opening the door to freedom from sin's bondage. He's inviting you into a new life with Him—and an eternity in His presence.
What is being produced in your life today?
The birth of the Savior wasn't just a historical event to commemorate once a year. It was the beginning of God's answer to humanity's deepest problem—our inability to overcome sin through our own efforts.
The Mirror That Cannot Clean
For centuries, the law functioned like a mirror. It showed people exactly what was wrong, revealing every flaw and failure with perfect clarity. But here's the limitation: a mirror can show you dirt on your face, but it cannot clean you. You can stare at your reflection all day long, but your face won't get any cleaner just by looking.
The law operated the same way. It revealed sin with precision but was powerless to cleanse it. It pointed people toward their need for something—or rather, Someone—greater than themselves.
For over 400 years, God had been silent. The people of Israel lived under Roman oppression, waiting for their Messiah. They expected a conquering hero, a military deliverer who would overthrow their enemies and restore their kingdom. They weren't looking in a feeding trough. They weren't expecting a baby born in the humblest circumstances imaginable.
But that's exactly where God showed up.
The Battle Within
The reality is that we cannot please God without the Holy Spirit. Our sin nature constantly pulls us toward disobedience. Every single person carries this nature from birth. We see it in toddlers who look you straight in the eye and push their plate off the high chair, fully aware they shouldn't. We see it in teenagers who defiantly refuse simple instructions. We see it in ourselves when we know what's right but choose what's wrong.
There's a constant struggle between what we want to do, what we ought to do, and what we actually end up doing. This tension exists because our flesh and the Holy Spirit are in direct opposition to one another.
When we talk about "flesh," we're not just referring to our physical bodies. Anything we trust in place of God becomes part of our flesh. Good works, religious traditions, personal achievements—if we're placing our confidence in these things rather than in Christ alone, we're walking according to the flesh.
The Fruit of the Flesh
Galatians 5 provides a sobering list of what the flesh produces: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, and carousing.
These aren't just abstract concepts. They're real struggles that manifest in everyday life. Road rage when someone drives too slowly. Jealousy when someone else receives recognition. Anger that erupts over minor inconveniences. Entertainment choices that normalize what God calls sin. Horoscopes read "just for fun" that gradually become daily consultations.
The world has been moving steadily toward moral uncleanness, especially regarding sexual ethics. What began as a "free love" movement decades ago has evolved into a complete lack of moral restraint. Every form of media seems to celebrate what Scripture clearly identifies as sin.
We create idols without even realizing it—things we turn to for joy, comfort, and peace instead of turning to God. Television shows, traditions, possessions, even our own plans and ambitions can become idols when they take priority over our relationship with the Creator.
Here's the critical distinction: Christians may occasionally stumble into these sins. We mess up. Our sin nature trips us up. But there's a difference between stumbling and practicing. Living habitually in these sins, practicing them as a lifestyle, indicates an unchanged heart.
Think of it like a field. A healthy field may have some weeds, but a field completely overrun with weeds reveals neglect. Christians stumble, but a life dominated by sin points to something deeper—a heart that may never have truly surrendered to Christ.
The Beautiful Fruit of the Spirit
The contrast is stunning. While the flesh produces a chaotic list of destructive behaviors, the Spirit produces something entirely different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Notice something important—the word "fruit" is singular, not plural. These aren't multiple separate fruits but rather layers of a single fruit of the Spirit. They build upon one another in beautiful progression.
When you truly experience God's love—when you know deep in your soul that you are loved by the Creator of the universe—joy naturally follows. How can you not have joy when you're secure in that love?
And when you have joy, peace comes. You don't have to worry or rush because God has you. You can rest in His sovereignty.
Peace produces patience. When you're at peace, you're not frustrated by delays or inconveniences. You can extend patience to others because you're not anxious about your circumstances.
Patience leads to kindness. Most anger and harshness come from impatience. When you're patient, you naturally become kinder in your interactions.
Kindness grows into goodness—not just being nice, but actively doing good things for others.
Goodness develops faithfulness—remaining committed to what God has called you to do, even when it's difficult.
Faithfulness cultivates gentleness—a spirit that's strong yet tender, firm yet compassionate.
And all of this culminates in self-control—the ability to govern your impulses, desires, and reactions according to God's will rather than your flesh.
This is what we desperately need. Most sin happens because we lack self-control. We know what's right, but in the moment, we choose what feels good.
The Critical Truth
Here's what we must understand: we cannot produce this fruit through our own effort. You can't study hard enough, try hard enough, or work hard enough to manufacture love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in your life.
It's called the fruit of the Spirit for a reason—not the fruit of your trying or the fruit of your struggling. This is what the Holy Spirit produces in you as you surrender to His work.
But surrender doesn't mean passivity. We're called to strive for faithful obedience to what God calls us to do. We cooperate with the Spirit's work by choosing obedience, by crucifying our flesh daily, by walking in step with Him.
The question isn't whether you've heard this message before. Many people can recite spiritual truths without experiencing spiritual transformation. The real question is: what will you do with what you've heard?
Will you allow it to travel the crucial distance from your head to your heart? Will you take that first step of surrender? Will you say yes to Jesus and allow Him to begin the beautiful, challenging, transforming work of producing His fruit in your life?
The choice is yours. He's offering His hand, opening the door to freedom from sin's bondage. He's inviting you into a new life with Him—and an eternity in His presence.
What is being produced in your life today?
Recent
Archive
2025
April
May
June
August
September
November
Categories
no categories
No Comments