Where is the Evidence of the Holy Spirit?

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

The qualities we see listed here are not actions but character qualities. When our character possesses these qualities our actions will follow.

When we see people claiming to be Christians but consistently act in unloving, selfish and combative ways, we might want to challenge them that perhaps they are not saved.

Everyone has bad days in which they might not act as they should. The born again believer will hate that they did it and confess it quickly to resolve the relationship damage. However a non-believer has no conscience about it, they do it, they justify their actions and go on to continue down the same road.

God told us that we will know them by their fruit. We will be able to discern the character of a person by their actions, but always their actions will be preceded by the attitudes listed in Galatians 5.

Those who live continually in and out of bad behavior are not controlled by the Holy Spirit. Those who love God hate to be naughty or mean. Those who justify their naughtiness and meanness are of the world.

1 John 4:4-6 "…4 You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.…"

Those who claim to be Christian but refuse to listen to good godly Scriptural counsel probably are not born again. The born again believer loves wisdom from the Word, they embrace it, enjoy it and even pass it on to others.

The worldly person who loves this world and is embarrassed at the principles of God will be irritated even angry at the mention of Christ or His Word.

1 John 2:14-16 "14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.…"

Many people will claim to have the fruit of the Spirit who do not. They are satisfied with knowing about it and pretending it is so, when there is no evidence of it in their lives.