Evidence of Saving Faith

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Gal. 5:22-23)
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​In Galatians 5, scripture tells us that the evidence of those who live in the flesh and are not led by the Holy Spirit are things like “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” and “that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (vv.19-21).  This does not mean that if we have ever engaged in such activities before or if we occasionally lose our temper or experience jealousy, then we are not saved.  Rather, the scripture is describing those who regularly engage in such behavior.  But then we are told that the evidence of someone possessing the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, the evidence of someone who is truly saved and born-again, is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control.”  Again, does this mean that saved people will perfectly display these attributes all the time?  Not at all.  Sanctification is a process.  The life-long process of the Holy Spirit transforming us into the image and character of Christ is two steps forward and one step back.  Nevertheless, the believer—by the power of the Holy Spirit—will make steady progress toward becoming more like Christ throughout his or her life.  So then, what do these attributes look like in the life of the believer?  What is the evidence of saving faith?  Over the next nine days I hope to take a closer look at each of these.