Galatians 5:22-23 shares with us the “Fruit of the Spirit,” and the difference between the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit is that unlike the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is not divided among believers. All believers should be marked by each of these characteristics. The Bible tells us we need the Spirit to bring fruit into our lives because we cannot produce godliness apart from the Spirit. Two things need to happen in our lives as believers. The sin in our lives need to be thrust out, and the Holy Spirit needs to fill our lives, which will produce this fruit on our lives. We could illustrate this with a gate in our back yard. The gate can be used for two purposes: It can be opened to let people in, and it can be shut to keep people out. Spiritually our lives are like a gate, inside our lives are all sorts of things that are wrong and unpleasing to God. We need to let these things out, and allow the Holy Spirit to come in and control the very center of our lives. The Holy Spirit not only makes us alive Spiritually, but helps us open the gate so that we can thrust out the evil things in our lives. Not only that but the Holy Spirit then strengthens the gate to keep evil out. As we walk in the Spirit we will find these characteristics naturally become apart of our personality. Choose to allow the Spirit to strengthen the gate of your life.