Jesus never called us to be religious or merely spiritual. Instead, He called us to be mature people who reflect His character. When Jesus said, “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect,” He was inviting us to become like God in our communities.
What Does Jesus Really Want From Us?
Rather than focusing on religious rituals or vague spirituality, Jesus made His expectations clear: “Follow me. Do what I do. Say what I say.” The goal is simple yet profound—to be like Christ.
The Apostle Paul, who wrote over half of the New Testament, helps us understand what this looks like in practical terms. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul outlines how we can become more Christlike by relying on the Holy Spirit rather than our own efforts.
The Battle Within Us
In Galatians 5:16-17, Paul acknowledges the internal conflict we all experience: “The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so you do not do whatever you want.”
This explains that inner dialogue we all have—wanting to do one thing but feeling we should do another. Paul makes it clear that we don’t “drift into greatness.” Left to ourselves, we naturally gravitate toward the negative behaviors he lists in verses 19-21:
- Sexual immorality
- Impurity
- Debauchery
- Idolatry
- Witchcraft
- Hatred
- Discord
- Jealousy
- Fits of rage
- Selfish ambition
- Dissensions
- Factions
- Envy
- Drunkenness
- Orgies
Paul warns that those who live this way “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” These characteristics won’t be present in our families, workplaces, or communities if we’re not led by the Holy Spirit.
How Does the Holy Spirit Change Us?
The Greek word for Spirit is “pneuma,” which means “wind” or “breath.” When the Holy Spirit blows into our lives, He shifts our direction—like a strong wind can push a car into another lane. We need this divine wind to move us away from our natural tendencies and toward God’s character.
The world doesn’t need more religious people or self-defined spiritual people. What it needs are people who are led by the Holy Spirit, people who others respect even if they don’t agree with their beliefs.
What Is the Fruit of the Spirit?
In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul presents a different kind of list—not commandments to follow, but characteristics that naturally emerge when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
These aren’t things we need to work on, but things we need to surrender to. We need to say, “Lord, do that work in my life. Blow into my life and help me with this.”
Jesus reinforced this in John 15:4-5: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Love: The First Fruit
The first fruit Paul mentions is love, which is also the central theme of the Bible. Jesus summarized all commandments as loving God and loving others. This isn’t about being nicer—it’s about experiencing and expressing God’s kind of love (agape).
Paul emphasizes in Galatians 5:6 that “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Not religious practices, not spiritual experiences, but love in action.
How Do We Grow in Love?
To grow in love, we need to:
Understand and experience God’s love for us
In Ephesians 3:17-19, Paul prays that we would “be rooted and established in love” and “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” We need to encounter God’s overwhelming, all-consuming, never-ending love for us.
Receive God’s love
1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love because he first loved us.” If all you’ve received is religion or spirituality, you’ve missed what Jesus died to give you. You can’t learn fruit—it’s a byproduct of who you are, like toothpaste that reveals what’s inside when squeezed.
Choose to love
Colossians 3:14 says, “Over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Love is a choice we must make daily. Our choices lead, and our feelings follow. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
What we love changes us into the image of what we love. Whatever we become obsessed with, we imitate. Whatever we imitate, we become.
Life Application
This week, make God your top priority. Decide to make Him your greatest love, and let your heart follow where you invest your time, affection, energy, money, and loyalty.
Ask yourself:
- What would it look like if I responded like Jesus instead of my natural reactions this week?
- In what relationships do I need the Holy Spirit’s help to love like Jesus?
- How can I “put on love” in my daily interactions, especially with difficult people?
- What practical steps can I take to stay connected to the vine (Jesus) so His love can flow through me?
The only way we can truly love others is with God’s help. When we allow the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in us, people will notice the difference. In a world full of hatred and division, they’ll be drawn to the God they see in us—not because we’re religious, but because we’re becoming more like Christ.
