Jesus said that we will be known by the fruits of the Spirit. This daily devotional looks at outward fruit and bearing the right fruit at the right time.
Nuggets
- The fruits of righteousness are rewards for following God’s Will.
- Our words and works should honor God.
- Our fruit should expand the kingdom of God.
- We should seize every opportunity to witness to others.
- Since the command is to bear fruit, there are consequences when we do not bear fruit.
To read devotions in the Redo for Godliness series, click the appropriate button below.
Devotions in the Fruit of the Spirit series
When I decided to do a redo for godliness this year, I started throwing sermons into a folder so I could come back and write on them. I don’t feel like I have gotten through many of them.
One thing I really wanted to do is a series on the fruits of the Spirit. I found an interesting sermon back in October 2020 that should give us a good foundation for the rest of the devotions.
Watson’s sermon will give us a good base of what a fruit actually is. Let’s take a look.
Let's Put It into Context
Watson wrote that the fruit of the Spirit comes from the Tree of Righteousness. Righteousness is the indwelling goodness that is the result of a solid relationship with God built by a sincere life of conscientious obedience to God’s laws and commandments and from which all virtues flow.
Resource
Fruit of Righteousness
“Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1: 11 ESV)
The fruits of righteousness are rewards for following God’s Will.
We just looked at fruits of righteousness in the Joy of Relationships devotion.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
The fruits of righteousness are the rewards given at perfection for doing God’s Will and growing closer to Him. The rewards are eternal life, peace, access to Him, and hope.
Glossary
Yes, they are given at perfection. No, we don’t have to wait until we get to Heaven to get smaller versions of this. We can have this now.
When we talk about fruit, we also talk about the products of correctly discerning God’s voice. It is the rewards of discernment. “And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace” (Jas. 3: 18 CSB)
When we discern the wisdom of God, it produces fruits of righteousness. It is the fruit that is grown as we grow closer to God.
That is the whole point of being able to discern God’s voice. We want to be able to use what He tells us to strengthen our relationship with Him, to help us imitate Him better.
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Ps. 1: 3 ESV)
The sermon entitled The Way of the Righteous by the Monday Club Sermons talked about having different classes of good and evil. It is more our motivation rather than a hierarchy of righteousness and sin. They wrote, “It is needful to discriminate with respect to the kind of delight the righteous man takes in the law.”
Resource
The tree takes most of its nourishments in through the roots. The Monday Club Sermons equated the roots to the inward us. We prosper when we follow God’s Will, which He shows us when we meditate in seeking for Him.
That is logical. God wants us to get it to the heart level. That is where He is always going to meet us. He is going to abundantly provide.
It produces an inward fruit. Hmmm. What?
I thought the fruits were what we see. They are the visual representation of God in us.
Okay. Let’s look at it this way. One of the ladies in my church gave me this huge poinsettia plant.
It had been outside at her house, but at this time of the year it needs a lot of darkness. At my house, that means to the basement it goes.
So, we are not only going through separation anxiety of Pointy being thrust into a new environment, but we are also probably messing up her routine.
The stress on the plant has withered a couple of leaves.
Is the plant dead or dying? No.
What we see isn’t a complete indication of what is happening on the inside. The love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance have to come from the inside out.
What if we were loving someone against our will? What if we were only doing it for show? What we see may not be a clear indication of the condition of the heart.
I know. Jesus said, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Mt. 7: 16 ESV). What I am saying is the outward walk without the inward faith means nothing.
That makes sense, doesn’t it? If we don’t have the faith behind the love, it is just a worldview love. We aren’t loving in God’s name.
(And yes, I named my plant.)
Outward Fruit
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Col 4: 6 ESV)
Our words and works should honor God.
What we are going to talk about in the succeeding devotions is the inward fruit that people see: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
Watson said the outward fruit is good discourse and good works.
Good Discourse
Our words should reflect the righteousness that God has placed within us. “Our words ought to proceed from some grace of God in the heart, as from knowledge, faith, joy, love, sorrow, fear, etc., and in this sense, when on the tongue, they carry the name of the fountain whence they flow.
Resource
Hmmm. Several of the fruits were listed in that.
We are to use our words to build up each other. I keep thinking of Hawk Nelson’s song.
Related Links
Hawk Nelson
Good Works
Airay felt the good works were what we do that came from our being righteous as God is. We glorify God by the good works performed through His righteousness in us.
Resource
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
We know God calls us to do good works. Good works means that we give God our best to complete whatever tasks He assigns for us to do. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do” (Eph. 2: 10 CSB).
Verse Commentary
It is through performing those works that we learn Who God is. So many times, we learn by doing. When we do those works, we are exhibiting His character.
Kindly Fruit
“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit” (Mt. 7: 18 KJV)
Our fruit should expand the kingdom of God.
Most of the other versions translated this as good and bad fruit. I went with the King James Version as I use that as the standard. They were the only one that translated it good and evil.
To me, there is a distinct difference.
• Good, in the biblical sense, is the workings of God within His people.
• Evil is equated with sin because it is that which goes against God and His purposes.
Watson said that we have to bear the fruit that is meant for us to bear. I read this as God has given each of us tasks to perform. We have to do the work.
That work means bringing people to Jesus. We’ve got to do our part.
Pastor Joey asked a very good question. He said, “Are we endeavoring to bring people to Christ or just playing church?”
Resource
Think about it. Why are you going to church? Is it just to get fed — spiritually, not physically?
Bringing people to Christ isn’t a play to up the numbers in our congregation. This is keeping people out of hell.
The fruit we produce has to be suitable and proper. Do you know a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde disciple? The person is one way when inside the church doors, but the opposite outside of them? We have to be a child of God wherever we are.
God has given us specific gifts to be used for specific tasks that He has given us. If I tried to run the Hospitality Committee, that wouldn’t end well. My gift is singing. I have to use my gift properly.
Seasonable Fruit
“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6: 10 ESV)
We should seize every opportunity to witness to others.
Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecc. 3: 1 ESV). We know everything happens in the fullness of God’s time.
I love Martin’s definition of opportunity. He wrote, “‘Opportunity’ is that season in which we can minister to the benefit of others.”
Resource
We may only have the opportunity to witness to someone for a short time. Maybe we’ve just met them at the health club — but then their spouse gets transferred out of state, so they are gone.
We may see an opening in a conversation to bring up how God is working in our lives. We don’t take it because we don’t feel comfortable sharing about ourselves. Then the person is killed in an auto accident.
Fruit is fine hanging on a tree. We aren’t going to get a pie if it stays there.
Being a disciple is great for us. Our faith doesn’t help others if we don’t share it.
Why Is It Important?
“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (Jn. 15: 2 ESV)
Since the command is to bear fruit, there are consequences when we do not bear fruit.
God expects us to expand His kingdom. Every one of us — not just the Pastor Joey-types.
Watson wrote, “The righteousness of faith is always accompanied with the fruits of righteousness.” He also said we should never think that we have enough.
Resource
Read that verse one more time. “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (Jn. 15: 2 ESV).
Every branch in me. Every branch in Christ.
Who are in Christ? Children of God. Disciples. We are.
Glossary
Jesus will cut off and throw away those who do not bear fruit.
Making the Connections
God wants to reward us. He wants us to be fruitful.
God is exacting about what He requires of us.
How Do We Apply This?
- Make sure we are bearing fruit.
- Cut out all of the things that are obstructing us from bearing bruit.
- Abhor evil.
- Hold onto God’s promises.
- Be humble.
- Join a witnessing program at our church.
- Bury ourselves in the Word of God.
Resource
Father God. We praise You for Your love for us. We want to serve You in every opportunity that You give to us. Help us to live in Your Will. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email daily or weekly providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.
Pingback: Joy and Contentment – Seeking God with Elaine