So far in this series we've said the Spirit gives us birth and keeps filling us. This week, the slow, beautiful work in the middle: the Spirit forms us. He is at work, over a lifetime, to make us like Jesus. The old word for it is sanctification. The plain version is this: the Spirit is changing you.
Character first
When people think about the Spirit, they often jump straight to power. Scripture puts character first. Paul lists what the Spirit grows in a yielded life:
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
That's Galatians 5:22-23. Fruit grows slowly, quietly, and from the inside. It's the surest evidence that the Spirit is at work, more telling than anything dramatic. A person becoming more patient, more kind, less proud over time is a walking miracle, even if nobody claps.
Freedom from sin, not just guilt about it
Being formed by the Spirit is also how we actually change, not just feel bad and try again. "Walk by the Spirit," Paul says, "and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). The Spirit doesn't merely forgive us and leave us stuck; he gives us power to walk in a new direction. Real formation means old patterns loosening their grip, one Spirit-empowered choice at a time.
And yes, the gifts
Character comes first, but it doesn't crowd out power. The same Spirit distributes gifts "to each one, just as he determines" (1 Corinthians 12:7-11), wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy, and more, for the good of everyone. Being formed by the Spirit means both: the fruit that makes you like Jesus and the gifts that let you do the kind of things he did. We don't pick one. We want a people marked by love and open to the Spirit's power, the fruit and the gifts held together.
Becoming, on purpose
This is the "Become" in our mission, Follow, Become, Do. We're not trying to manufacture better versions of ourselves. We're yielding to the Spirit and trusting him to do what only he can: form Jesus in us. That happens best in the ordinary rhythm of a Disciple Making Community, open Scripture, honest confession, prayer, and people who will keep showing up for you.
You don't have to be far along to start. You just have to keep saying yes. The Spirit is patient, and he is not finished with you.
Next in the series: the Spirit who forms us also leads us. Until then, come be formed alongside us, text Pastor Brian and join us this Sunday.
Pastor Brian