Paul’s solution to the question of Christian obedience and holiness is not to impose laws and rituals (legalism), nor to say that grace means we can do what we please. Instead, he sees our true hope being the Holy Spirit.
In Galatians 5:2-23, he says that the result or fruit of receiving the Holy Spirit “is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”
The Holy Spirit is the third person of The Trinity. Jesus promised that when he ascended to heaven, the Father would send another comforter or counsellor, one like Jesus who is God with us. This is what happened on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to indwell believers.
Life in the Spirit is central therefore to Paul’s understanding of what the Christian life should be like. In Ephesians 5, he instructs us to say no to drunkenness (the influence of wine) and instead be filled with the Spirit. This will lead to and be expressed as praise, singing and thanksgiving as well as a life of submission to and serving one another. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul focus on gifts that the Spirit gives. These gifts are to help us worship, serve, build up and encourage each other.
I am tempted to suggest therefore that whether we are talking about singing and praise, spiritual gifts such as prophecy and tongues or characteristics like love, peace, joy and kindness that we are not talking about three different things. All three are expressions or results of the Holy Spirit filling our lives. In other words, all three lists are telling us about the fruit of the Spirit. In fact, all three amount to the same thing, they are expressing the truth that spiritual fruit is all about our whole hearted love for God which leads to love for each other.
Faithroots 