|
|
|
The tree and fruit of Psalm 1 The fruit of the Spirit is multifaceted. Just like trees take time to grow and mature to produce fruit, it does not come in one season, it takes many seasons. And this is why God tells us to have patience and endurance that we can produce fruit unto eternal life. For the farmer, the fruit of a tree is measured over lifetime of its production. Fruit is not the same as gifts which are used in someone’s calling and ministry. Fruit is what every Christian produces, 30, 60 a 100 fold. We can be meta fruit trees when we begin to produce. It is the work of the Holy Spirit changing our nature to be as like Jesus, the Son of God. It depends on our submission, yielding to Him and our faith to do something that will be part of that fruit bearing. This is why there are variables in our fruitfulness. Scripture speaks of the fruit in the singular because these are all characteristics of the Lord which the Holy Spirit produces. It is God’s nature working in man and out from him to others. The human spirit can produce some of these qualities in a soft and limited capacity, but they cannot compare to what God gives in permanent abundance by His grace in time of need. For example some people have a lot of patience in things that take place, but when they heat is turned up it takes a supernatural power to keep patience during the worst of times. Consider those facing execution and have love for their persecutors. Who can give up their life facing death and show this to their killers? Why would they? Only those who are assured of their eternal life in heaven and have the Spirit of God controlling them. When you walk down a street in summer or fall you can’t help notice a tree filled with fruit. The same should be for others that know us, they notice the fruit. They may ask why is this person so calm and assured in this circumstance that would crush them. Ps 1:1-3 “ Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper .” Those who repel the world’s influences, who lives by the Word, whose focus on the Lord are fruitful. And what they do for the Lord, in his nature will prosper. Eph. 5:8-11 “ 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. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them .” How do we accomplish this? Remember that we can be up to 100% fruitful. No fellowship with darkness but only with the light (The Word), we reveal what the darkness is. John 15:4-5 “ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 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.” Grapes grow on vines and they are lengthy, and we are to be as branches in the vine. If we depend on the vine, fruit will be the result. Depending on how much we yield will produce the different outcomes and percentages of fruit. To the apostles Jesus said “ I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.” (John 15:16) All of our fruit should remain, this was said to the apostles, but in a wider sense it applies to all believers. Fruit is mostly the characteristics, the nature of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. It is used a few times for the works one does. We abide in Jesus by hearing and doing His word. How do we know this is what he meant? Because he said it is written numerous times and his whole ministry was built on fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. For one to keep the Word and be fruitful they must first understand it before they can apply it. Jesus: “ When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand .” (Mt. 15:10) Not just listen but have the intent to understand. Matt 13:23 “ But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." The good ground is our heart, but we must understand the word correctly to produce these variables of fruit even up to 100%. It is possible that every facet of the Holy Spirit is present in our life. This does not happen overnight but over lifetime. 1 Cor. 14:20 “ do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.” Listen carefully and consider what is being said. To live by His instructions, as he said man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Gal. 5:22-25 “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” If we walk in the Spirit we can produce the life of the Spirit. We are first of all to be peacemakers, that comes by explaining the gospel. James 3:18 “ Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” John wrote “ That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you .” The apostles made the truth known by teaching the Scripture. The apostles preached the word they did not do anything without it being proclaimed, the gospel was a priority. Jesus taught in Luke 6:43-45 “ For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. In other words you can’t get good fruit from trees that do not produce fruit. Only a good healthy tree produces fruit. Each person has their own fruit, it is not collective but individually. Luke 8:14-15 Jesus speaking of the seed sown among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” Luke 13:6-9 He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?' But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'" He came back each year to see if it produced what it was supposed to, it didn’t, he wanted it removed for using up space. This goes along with what he said in John 15:2 “ Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit…. v:6 if anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” Jesus wants us to become more and more fruitful, let’s not be those who use up space and end up having nothing but be more and more fruitful as we see the days becoming darker.
|
|
