Check The Fruit

I have been in many circles both business and religious where the term “check the fruit” has been used.  In business this meant to see what they had accomplished, how big was their network?  What organizations were they a part of.  Are they asked to speak at functions?  In Church it was more like what kind of witness are they, do they witness?   Do they give of their time, talents, and money?  How many followers or members do they have?  How often are they asked to teach or preach? 


Let’s take a moment and see what the Word of God says when it comes to fruit.  First let’s turn to Matthew 12:33, I am going to read it from two translations in hopes to bring more understanding.  Also I want to remind you that Jesus is speaking here as a Jew to the Jews under the old covenant.   


Matthew 12:33 (KJV)


Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.


In the Amplified Bible it is translated this way;


Matthew 12:33 (Amplified Bible)


Either make the tree sound (healthy and good), and its fruit sound (healthy and good), or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad), and its fruit rotten (diseased and bad); for the tree is known and recognized and judged by its fruit.


“For the tree is known by his fruit.”  We all know that an apple tree produces apples and pear tree produces pears.  We look at the fruit to identify what the tree is.  When it comes to the believer the fruit does not determine their salvation, it is an expression of Jesus who dwells in you.  Righteousness or right standing is a gift because of the finished work of Jesus. There is nothing more or less that we as believers can do to produce what Jesus has already done. The first fruit of the spirit is Love. Rest in God and everything else comes effortlessly. Fulfilling the great commission should be this way and not considered work. It is Christ in us that produce the fruit.  In Paul’s letter Galatians 5:22-23 is where you will find these expressions, again I am going to read from both the KJV and the Amplified translation.
  
Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)


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


Galatians 5:22-23 (Amplified Bible)


22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,
23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].


What you see here is God, “If you see me you see the Father”, it is nothing you have to strive for, since Christ is in you and you in Him the fruits are there all along, like a gift waiting to be opened and enjoyed.  The finished work of Jesus fulfilled his words in Matthew.  The tree of Life bears good fruit!  In total contrast to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the tree of life bears fruit effortlessly consistent with the life of our original design!


I will close with this, without the flow of Grace, fruit will not grow.  A person can be born again and because of wrong teaching the fruit does not manifest.  This can be explained even more in Ephesians reading from the Mirror Word translation.      


Ephesians 2:8-10 (MWBE)


8 Your salvation was a grace thing from start to finish, you had no hand in it; because it is all God's gift to you, because He believes in you.
9 If this could be accomplished through any action of yours then there would be ground for boasting, (but you did not even invent faith. It was His faith in you that made you believe in Him.)
10 We are engineered by His design, He manufactured us in Christ. (Greek, poeima, we are His poem, God finds inspired expression of Christ in us.) We are fully fit to do good. We are equipped to give attractive evidence of His likeness in us in everything we do.


Live life knowing that because of God’s Mercy and His faith in you to believe and receive the gift of righteousness that Grace and truth abounds and the fruit will manifest.  As you rest in Him it is effortless because of the expression of who He is in you.  You are good.  You are equipped to give evidence of His likeness in you.  Effortlessly…


You are Blessed… God Loves You!