Bearers of Fruit........ WHAT?

Fruit Bearers???


Matthew 7: 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus is instructing his disciples to beware of false teaching. I think he is also informing us on how to better our skills of discernment. I was encouraged to think about the “fruit” I bear, as I was watching our youth pastor, Bodie Sanders” stand on stage and portray a tree. He pointed out that Jesus should be our trunk, because it’s the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead that lives within us. He also encouraged us to think of our limbs as limbs of a tree or a vine. We should be continually bearing fruit available for anyone who may need it.

Now, I have heard this before, and thought a lot about it. I have even asked others, what is the “fruit”. I have gotten answers from deeds that we do to the children we bear. Let’s dig a bit, and see if we can get an answer from the Word.

In Galations 5, we are instructed on “living by the Spirit”. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Here, we are shown the fruits of the spirit, and as Bodie suggested, maybe they are in order of importance. So, we should put on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. In the passage above, it tells us that the Spirit and sinful nature works contrary to each other.

What would our homes, communities, nation look like if every professing Christian, made a conscious effort to bear these fruits for the benefit of everyone else?

Be a fruit bearer……