Simply put, if we claim to live by the Holy Spirit by saying we are believers in, followers of, Jesus Christ, we must also walk by the Spirit with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage, meaning all our conduct is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Those aren’t my words, they’re God’s, delivered by the Apostle Paul. They’re startling words, and understandably so.

God’s purpose for us who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection is that we become like Jesus. That only happens when we’re living by His Spirit. It’s not something we can accomplish on our own, but it is something that is measurable.

When we are walking by the Spirit, our personal integrity becomes stronger, our character more and more godly. We develop moral courage we never imagined. All our conduct, all our behavior is empowered by the Spirit of Almighty God.

These words come just after the list of the fruit of the Spirit. If we see those growing in our lives, we know we’re walking in Him as we should. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. All manifest in the person who is consistently following the Lord and allowing Him to make adjustments in them to become more like Him.

This behavior modification even includes the things we do and say when we’re alone. Those things you hide from others, even family. The words spoken in your car in traffic. The mutters as you walk away from parent, boss, or acquaintance. The thoughts about that one who is different, the person of the other political party, the one who goes to that other church.

ALL our ways will become more like Him ALL the time in EVERY situation when we are truly living in the Spirit.

Anything you need to change today? I’ve got some work to do. That traffic gets me every time.

Coffee, Bible, Journal.