Am I Producing Good Fruit?

 

In Matthew 3:8, Jesus tells us that we; as His individual born-again disciples; must produce fruit that is consistent with our repentance. That is, we must show the world that we are different to what we used to be because Jesus has changed our hearts and we now consciously turn away from sin!

And in Matthew 7 our Lord tells us that people will be known by the fruit that they bear.

Matthew 7:15-20 (NLT) – brackets are mine

15 “Beware of false prophets (and false Christians) who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

The Lord tells us that people are known by the fruit that they bear which is our actions. Bad people produce bad fruit and good people produce good fruit.

Now here’s the rub, anything a person produces, good or bad, is worthless outside of Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 64:6 (NLT)

We are all infected and impure with sin.

When we display our righteous deeds,

they are nothing but filthy rags.

Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,

and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

This is why Christians are supposed to produce good fruit that is produced from a repentant heart, a heart that now has Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and a heart that is now led by the Holy Spirit!

But what is the fruit that a born-again Christian should bear?

Let’s work this out together by following what the Bible tells us.

God in all His fulness as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is love.

1 John 4:8 (AMP)

The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]

God’s love cannot and will not end, His love lasts forever!

Psalm 136:1 (NIV)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

His love endures forever.

The everlasting love of God is the central theme right throughout this Psalm.

When we, as His children, live in His love, He lives in us! When we abide, when we live, in His love we become Jesus to the world – to unbelievers!

1 John 4:16-17

16 We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him. 17 In this [union and fellowship with Him], love is completed and perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him]; because as He is, so are we in this world.

Whenever the New Testament writers are referring to God’s love, they use the Greek word ‘agapē’ – pronounced ‘ag-ah-pay’ which, when expanded to its full meaning, is translated in English as ‘a love that is unconditional, benevolent, charitable and freely given, it does not expect anything in return’ – we don’t have to do anything to earn it or give anything in return for it, we just need to receive it.

And as we receive God’s agapē love, so it is our duty as God’s children to show His love to others in all we do and in our service to Him.

This will bring glory to the name of Jesus! If we don’t have God’s love, then we don’t know God!

So, how does this help us in knowing if we are producing fruit or not?

I believe the Apostle Paul reveals the answer to this in his letter to the Church in Galatia!

Galatians 5:22-26 (AMP)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.

25 If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit]. 26 We must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another.

Now, it should be no surprise to us then that the first word used by Paul when he gives us the nine facets of the fruit of the Spirit, is love and the Greek word for love here is the agapē love of God the same word for love used in 1 John 4:8 above – God is love!

Do you see now that the fruit that every Christian should be bearing is the fruit of the Spirit. Everything we do should be done out of His love which embraces the nine facets of the Fruit of the Spirit!

1 Corinthians 16:14 (AMP)

Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

This is why Paul tells us in Romans 8 that the only way we, as born-again Christians, should live is by living life in the Spirit. If we are not living life in the Spirit, then it is impossible for us to produce the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit that is in keeping with our true repentance.

This is why Jesus tells us that He will send us the Holy Spirit to lead us in all truth!

John 14:26 (AMP)

But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.

When the fruit of the Spirit is manifest in us and through us in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are fully equipped to do the good works that God predestined us to do and even greater works than Jesus and thus in all we do we will bear good fruit!

John 14:12 (AMP)

I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Saviour] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father.

Prayer:
Lord I pray that you would continually fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may continually produce good fruit that is consistent with repentance in Christ Jesus. Help me Lord to remember that it is no longer I that lives but Christ who lives in me so that I may do everything in His love and bring glory to His name. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!