ManofGod79 wrote:the Bible clearly states in Galatians 5:22-23 that those who possess the Holy Spirit show its fruit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
I agree. Most Christians have a one time experience with the Lord but refuse to follow the divine design for discipleship that He desires for us. When we resist the changing power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we stunt our spiritual growth and end up without any fruit to show. However, I don't think that it means that everyone who lacks the fruit of the Spirit does not have the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes there are seasons in our lives where born again believers knowingly fall into disobedience in a particular area of our lives. Thankfully, there is grace for when we are a little slow to step up to the plate. The scary parts is... while God has grace for us, He is also just. If you live a lifetime of intentional disobedience to the things that the Lord is calling you to be obedient in, thus living a life without repentance, then there will be judgement. We don't have to be perfect, but we do have live a lifestyle of trust in Jesus, letting the Spirit change the way we think about sin, and continually practicing obedience by turning from that sin. We are going to fall, but we have to get back up, own it for what it is without making excuses, and continue following Jesus.
Matthew 7:21-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you;
I once heard that the anointing of the Holy Spirit is like a glow stick. The analogy references to the fact that it take a breaking before the power is activated. So, like a glow stick, the speaker noted that if we resist the work of the Spirit and do not take up our cross, there will be no activation of the power of the Holy Spirit within us. This would mean that many have no power to show because they will not allow the Holy Spirit who already indwells in a born again believer to break them down with a refiners fire that will reveal our flaws and purify us.