LOOKING FOR FRUIT
Chapter 8
A. How do I know I’m making progress?
One gauge of your spiritual progress and maturity will be manifested by the spiritual fruit you produce.
An apple tree, for example, is still an apple tree even though there are no apples, or good mature apples or green apples. Of course, if it never produces any fruit, the tree is not worth keeping. (John 15:1-8)
Even on a good tree there may be some bad fruit or fruit that is not mature. So don’t be disappointed if you look and see some things in your life that you detest and even surprise you. Perfection or maturity does not come about overnight. Just as apples aren’t fully grown in one day, neither will your fruit mature overnight. Gradually you will come into Christ’s likeness.
The Bible says we are being changed from glory to glory.
B. What are fruits I should look for?
Galatians 5:19-26 describes the fruits (works) of the flesh and also the fruits of the Spirit.
In the Bible, when it mentions “flesh” it is an enemy.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and
these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Galatians 5:16-17)
Listed below are the fruits that are found on the same tree. The fruits of the flesh need to be pruned or cut off as they sap us of spiritual nutrition to produce good fruit. When we become a Christian our source of life is Jesus Christ, and that new nature or source will starve out the works of the flesh. If the fruits of the flesh are still being produced long after we’ve become a Christian, it is a sign that we are still allowing roots of our old nature (sin or flesh) to exist and thus these fruits continue to grow. We must allow God’s Spirit within us to prune off these branches and sever their tap root. (Romans 8:6-10)
FRUITS OF THE FLESH
- Adultery – extra-marital sex
- Fornication – sex before marriage
- Uncleanness – thoughts, conversation, body
- Lasciviousness – lewd or lustful
- Idolatry – worshipping other gods or things
- Witchcraft
- Hatred
- Variances – disputing
- Emulations – competitiveness to outdo
- Wrath
- Strife
- Seditions – insurrection against lawful authority
- Heresies – departure from the doctrine
- Envying
- Murders
- Drunkenness
- Reveling – noisy wild partying
FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Longsuffering
- Gentleness
- Goodness
- Faith
- Meekness – enduring injury with patience and without resentment
- Temperance – moderation in indulgence of the appetites
Make a list of the fruits you see in your life, both good and bad. Then make a list of the fruits that are dropping off and that you know have changed.
Pray and ask God to help you sever the fruits of the flesh that remain and to apply His Word (Sword) to those roots that exist.
Remember....no fruit reaches maturity overnight so be patient. God understands!
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