Thread by @2runtherace

What Kind of Fruit are you Bearing? 🧵

The Word of God tells us that we are fruit bearers. We are likened to a tree that brings forth fruit when the season is right.

The righteous are said to bear fruit that causes both himself and others to prosper. How does he do this? By not walking with ungodly people, and by delighting in doing the will of the LORD, and meditating on God’s Word day and night.

Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.

[3] And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

A tree can bear good fruit and rotten fruit, but God’s people are told to bear good fruit. We do this, not in our own power, but by walking in the Spirit and allowing Him to prune us—to cut back what needs to be taken out of our lives, to cultivate us, and to water us.

These are the fruits of the Spirit that should be in children of God.

Galatians 5:16,22-25
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

We are watered by His Word. The relationship between a husband and wife is likened to Jesus Christ and His church. Both relationships are meant to bear fruit.

Ephesians 5:25-29
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,

That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.

Psalm 127:3-5
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Beloved, if we closely examine fruit as we are told to do—“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:16, then we must examine our own lives first.

I know that often in my life I am not producing good fruit. I become angry and lash out, or I don’t hold my tongue from speaking evil, by my words and language—“corrupt communication.”

Ephesians 4:29-32
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

The Living Bible says it this way—“Don’t use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing. Don’t cause the Holy Spirit sorrow (grieve Him) by the way you live.”Ephesians 4:29-30 TLB

We are told to refrain our words from the sin of speaking evil.

Proverbs 10:19
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

1 Peter 3:9-12
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew (abstain from) evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

For the eyes of the LORD are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the LORD is against them that do evil.

If ever a person was justified to lash out at others, it was Jesus. He suffered unjustly at the hands of the very ones He came to redeem, yet the Word says this—“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,

That ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.” 1 Peter 2:21-23

We are to follow the example of our Savior—Jesus Christ. We hear so many say—“follow your heart.” The Word tells us the heart of man is deceitful. Follow the Word and example of the LORD!

Jeremiah 17:9-10
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Jesus told us Himself that we are to love our enemies, even those who curse us, and use us, and speak evil against us. Here are His Words—“But I say unto you, Love your enemies,

Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Matthew 5:44

As we examine our fruit, we must often ask the LORD to search our hearts, and the way we’re living, and show us what kind of fruit we are producing—good or rotten?We want Him to be pleased with our fruit.

David, Jeremiah and Solomon speak about the blessings that come from a life—or tree, that is planted in the LORD.

Jeremiah 17:7-8
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Our good fruit, will bear seeds that produce fruit in others. We are to be “soul winners” by the fruit we produce.

Jesus told a parable about a keeper who planted a tree that did not produce fruit. Our Keeper is Jesus. He is watching us to see what we are producing, whether it’s good or whether there is no fruit.

Do we also, like the dresser of the garden in this story, need to ask the LORD for more time to allow His Spirit to work in us by cultivating our hearts to conform us into fruit bearing trees?

Luke 13:6-9
He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

And he answering said unto him, LORD, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Beloved, ask yourself this morning—“What kind of fruit am I bearing?”

Father, forgive us when we walk in our flesh and grieve Your Spirit. Thank You that You are at work in our lives to do whatever it takes to cause us to bear good fruit by the power of Your Spirit in us.

May we bear fruit that pleases You and leads others to salvation in Jesus Name.
#EyesOnHim

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