Fruit - What is it?
Fruit- What is it?
“…You should bring forth fruit…And your fruit should last.” John 15:16
Last week I talked about the command to bear fruit, its importance and purpose, and how we can be enabled to bear fruit. But what is the fruit that we should be producing in our Christian lives?
St. Peter tells us how to begin: “As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow (Ch.2:2). So we must study, know, and practice the Word. It has all the guidelines for our growth and fruit production. As we grow in the knowledge of God and we follow Him, we are given “more and more Grace” (2Peter3:18). This is a fruit that God generously gives us as we study His Word.
In Hebrews, we learn of another fruit: “The sacrifice of praise to God….the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to Him.” As we recognize what God has done for us and the world, we should be appreciative, offering Him praise and thanksgiving. This is considered fruit, and it is fruit that should not be difficult for us to bear. Also, our thoughts are accepted as fruit when they are good and righteous (Jeremiah 6:19) because God always looks at the heart: “A good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth fruit that is good…” (Luke 6:45).
Trust in God (despite the circumstances) and hope in His promises are also conducive to much growth: “For you will be as a tree planted by the waters….. and shall not see when the heat comes, but the leaves will be green and shall not be dry in the drought, neither cease to yield fruit.” (Jeremiah 7:18). And according to Jesus, we bring forth fruit if we have honest, noble hearts and “having heard the Word, keep it.” (Luke8:15).
The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and our obedience to Him result in a lot of fruit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience and Endurance, Kindness, Faithfulness, Humility and Self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23). These are only some examples of what God considers “fruit” and the kind of fruit that will last. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s get to work!
Al Jones