The Secret to Becoming Holy

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

If you follow this blog, you may already know that I love the book of James. James 2:14-17 says, "What good is it, my brothers and sisters if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James is stating that if our faith is not outwardly manifested, then our faith is dead. Why does he say that? Because, when we have true faith in God, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit and thereby, the fruits of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are visible when the Holy Spirit is moving through us. The Bible tells us countless stories of Jesus performing miracles, healing the sick, and showing compassion to those who needed it most. These actions were prompted by the Holy Spirit inside Him.

Last year, we had a guest speaker at church, Josh Danis, who spoke about the fruits of the Spirit. He said growth in these fruits is a true mark of holiness. We can try faking these fruits in our lives but the truth will always win out. Josh recently published a book on this exact topic called "Living the Fruits of the Spirit." If you're interested in reading more, check it out!

So, how do we grow in the fruits of the Spirit? Let's look at them one by one.

1 | Love

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he "replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40).

What's the greatest commandment? Love. Josh talked about how someone asked him if he loved his wife. Josh, of course, said, "Yes!" Then the person asked him, "Do you need to be told not to kill your wife?" He answered, "Of course not! I love my wife!" Love is the greatest commandment because when we love, following The 10 Commandments become our default setting. God loves every single person on this Earth with the same overwhelming love despite their actions, behaviors, choices, mistakes and He calls us to love them the same way. But, how can we do that? How can we love our enemies as we're called to do? By having a deeply intimate connection with Jesus and experiencing His love for us. We do not have the natural capacity to love the way God calls us to. We must rely on Him to deepen and grow our love. This is something we can and should ask God for because love is the foundation for everything.

2 | Joy

I feel like there's simply not enough joy in the church. As Christians, we have been redeemed, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have access to God through prayer, we have the honor of building a relationship with God. There is so much to be joyful about but somehow Christians aren't any happier or more joyful than a non-believer. But, we should be! We should be joyful in every circumstance. Joy can be present even in the darkest, fiercest storm. Why? Because joy is not a result of external factors; it comes from within. How? The answer is hope - hope in Jesus.

I have hope no matter what happens, no matter how uncertain a situation may seem because I trust in God. He has always been there for me and I do not doubt that He continues to fight for me even when I can't see it. One thing I'm absolutely sure of is that God is faithful even when we are not and that alone is cause for great joy.

3 | Peace

Much like joy, peace should have nothing to do with what's going on externally. Gandhi said, "Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances." We can't merely "fake it 'til we make it" when it comes to peace. True peace comes from surrendering all of our circumstances, worries, and fears to the Prince of Peace. When we are able to truly surrender our lives to God, that peace that surpasses all understanding will be undeniably evident and will be a light pointing non-believers to Christ.

4| Patience

We all know the proverbial phrase, "Patience is a virtue." We know the benefits of being patient and being on the receiving end of patience. We all like it when we talk with a customer service representative who's patient or a Home Depot employee who takes time to answer all our questions. We also feel better when we're able to show patience to the person who just cut us off on the road or at home with our children and spouses. The times we're able to be patient and respond calmly, things go so much more smoothly. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Don't we know that all too well? But, our patience should go even beyond the people we encounter.

When life isn't going our way, things aren't going as planned, or it seems like we just keep getting knocked down, we might start to feel down and think that this season will never end. But, if we're patient, God will always see us through. Our story will always be a redemption story in the end.

5 | Kindness

Many people tend to show more kindness during the holidays and look for opportunities to volunteer. While it's wonderful that people are volunteering, it is often more time-consuming for the employees to train a person for just a day. If we are truly volunteering for the benefit of a cause, then perhaps it's something we should be doing year-round. Otherwise, we may need to ask ourselves why we're really interested in volunteering during the holidays but not the rest of the year.

Could you imagine a world where Christians were constantly outdoing one another in acts of service and kindness? How drastically would our lives change? How would our communities be impacted if we were abundantly and exceedingly kind?

6 | Goodness

Sometimes people turn away from Christianity because they feel they're not good enough; they feel they simply can't measure up to the standard of goodness that God calls us to. But, the only way to be good is to be humble enough to admit that we aren't good on our own accord and to focus our attention on God's goodness and greatness. Being humble is the best starting point to pursue righteousness and goodness.

7 | Faithfulness

God is an excellent model of faithfulness and as the body, we are responsible for modeling that faithfulness to those around us by keeping our word, being available to help and support, and truly pray when we tell someone we will. Being committed to praying for our family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, etc. is the most important way we can be faithful to them because we know the immense power of prayer.

8 | Gentleness

The Bible teaches us to "tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body" (Ephesians 4:25). Have you ever heard of the term "Catholic Nice"? It refers to being pleasant and polite with everyone and avoiding conflict. The problem with that is that we may miss speaking a word of truth that they need to hear. As we learned from Ephesians 4:25, we should look out for one another because we are all members of one body.

But, we also know that "a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Ephesians 4:26-27 continues, "And 'don’t sin by letting anger control you.' Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil." We must speak in a manner that does not bring anger to another person. Gentleness is committed to speaking the truth with kindness, love, and understanding.

9 | Self-Control

We often think about self-control as the Meriam-Webster definition ”restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires“ for our benefit or the benefit of another. But, perhaps self-control is not only about having restraint but also having enough control over the self to do what is necessary, to make a sacrifice.

Parents are great examples of self-control as sacrifice. Every time a mom or dad wakes up in the middle of the night to care for their baby, they’re showing control over themselves for the benefit of another. Instead of staying all snug and cozy, asleep in their bed, they are choosing to make a sacrifice. We have no greater example of control over ones self than Jesus who committed the ultimate act of self-control by choosing to give His life for us. He could have walked away from the cross but He made the conscious choice to be beaten and crucified so that we may have everlasting life and enjoy communion with God here on Earth and I am so grateful that He did.

Conclusion

In Ephesian 4:2-6, Paul reminds us to "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

The secret to being holy is no secret at all. God alone is holy but He has gifted us with His Spirit which lives in us. If we listen closely, the Holy Spirit will guide us to holiness. John 15:1 says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." We must be open to the gentle correction of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is only then that we will grow and be made more and more into God's likeness. Romans 12:2 says, "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

Lord, I pray that your Spirit would shine through us. Guide us, Lord. Help us be open to your guidance and correction so that we may become holy servants. In a season of great grief and many struggles, help us to be the light in the world and point others to you, for you alone are the way, the truth, and the life. In Jesus' name, Amen.