Over the past several weeks we have looked at the Bible verses that tell us the importance of flourishing in fruit.
God has provided all we need and expects us to
bear good fruit (read and consider Isaiah 5:1-4)
God wants
us to produce good fruit. We, as
Christians and members of the kingdom of God, are to be bearing the good fruit
of God’s kingdom (consider Matthew 21:43).
Jesus said that a tree is known by its fruits (Matthew 12:33), and we have within us (as humans with free will) the potential to bear either the fruit of
sin (which leads to death) or the
fruit to holiness (which leads to
everlasting life, Romans 6:21-23);
we can choose to be either a tree lost in the darkness of the devil’s decaying
orchard or we can be planted and flourishing in the courts of our God (Psalm 92:13-14).
“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 7:19 NKJV)
We must be mindful of what buds in our
hearts/minds
Just as the
farmer is watchful of the bud formation knowing it leads to fruit, we also need
to be very attentive to what buds in our hearts/minds and determine whether a
bud ought to be nipped immediately or nurtured to blossom and develop fruit. We
need to be using God’s word (hearing it and doing it, James 1:21-27) so
that our senses are exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:13-14).
Examine the
buds developed (and developing) in your mind; nip the bad ones to allow room
for the good ones to flourish! The health of your soul is worth the daily, if
not the moment to moment, efforts needed to keep yourself pure (1 John 3:3) and holy (1 Peter 1:15-16) so you can flourish even more in good fruit!!
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24 NKJV)
Our conduct is our fruit
- repentance (Matthew
3:8) – making the changes that
prove that we have turned our backs to ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2:11-12, 2 Timothy 2:22) while clinging to what is good (Romans 12, John 14:6)
- righteousness (Philippians
1:9-11, 2 Corinthians 9:9-11) – doing
what is right in God’s sight, according to His commands and instructions (James 1:21-25, 1 John 3:7)
- good works (Colossians
1:9-11) – doing good for others,
generously sharing our blessings
with them (Psalm 68:19, 2 Corinthians
9:7-8)
Our words are our fruit
Jesus said
that our words come from the storehouses of our hearts (Matthew 12:34-35). Those who love Him should always be working to
have good storehouses that are well-curated (and carefully guarded),
guided by God’s good and perfect will, and full of the treasures of wisdom,
knowledge, and righteousness (Colossians
2:2-3, Ephesians 5:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 12:3-11) so that the
words we draw from our hearts are good and beneficial (Ephesians 4:29, Colossians 4:6).
“I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue…” (Psalm 39:1a NKJV)
When we walk in the Spirit, the Spirit
can bear His fruit in our lives (read and consider Galatians 5:16-26)
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:8-10 NKJV)
When we
live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit (allowing
God’s word to transform us, Romans 12:2, James 1:21-25, 1 John 2:15-17),
and when we work continually to identify and remove the debris of
selfishness/selfish ambitions/lusts (Hebrews
5:14), then our hearts will be a good soil (Matthew 13:23) in which the Spirit can develop and bear His fruit.
“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV)
When we flourish in bearing good fruit God will be
glorified!
Bearing
good and proper fruit only happens when we abide in the True Vine and when His
words abide in us (John 15:7). We
need to hear God’s words (in His word, the
Bible), take them into our heart, and purpose to do what He says (James
1:21-25). Hearing the word is the seed planted, thinking on it and allowing
it to shape our thoughts and choices is the seed taking root, and then doing
and saying what He has instructed through His word is bearing fruit. Consider
the parable of the sower in Luke 8:4-8, 11-15. When we do this, God will be
glorified!
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser… I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing… By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be my disciples.” (excerpt from John 15:1-8 NKJV)
It will
always be an excellent use of our time to read and study God’s word. Learning
more about Him and His way is the best – and only – way to transform our
hearts (Romans 12:1-2) so that they
become storehouses of good things that we can share with others through our
words and actions. When we purify our hearts (1 John 3:1-3) we clear the debris from the soil of our hearts and
make it a good receptacle for the Spirit to bear His fruit. And we can flourish
in good fruit that will bring glory to our wondrous Father in heaven!!
You can do it! So can I!!
