FRUITFULNESS

“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them...” Matthew 7:18-20

                   Fruit, which is a common metaphor in both Old and New Testaments, represent the outward manifestation of a person’s faith, thus their behavior and their works. Also fruit is the direct result of whatever controls our heart; as a good tree cannot produce bad fruits. True fruitfulness begins in the heart with the fruit of the Spirit. That inner fruit affects our outward actions. Our God desires us to be fruitful yielding good fruits, thus reflecting His image in this world. 

                   Being fruitful is the core of Christian living. When the Holy Spirit dwells in us, His attributes are evident in our lives. If our actions and deeds does not exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, He is not in us. When Jesus finds a fig tree with no fruit, He curses the tree. Later that day, the tree withers and dies. Though this seems like a rude judgement over that tree, here Jesus illustrates the importance of fruit in the life of a believer. We are not called to be named as Christians but are called to live a life of fruitfulness in the image of God.

                  The result of spiritual fruitfulness is that God is glorified, we grow in Christ and others come to know Christ through our behavior - this is the ultimate fruitfulness of the child of God. As John 15:5 says, ‘as branches cling to the vine, we need to cling on to Jesus to produce much fruits, as He is the source of our  righteous living.’ Amen!