Whoever we welcome into our lives can influence us, and may even master us. People will see who has control over us by how our lives turn out. Romans 6:16 says, “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” A statement in Physics says, “There is a common sense thesis that no two things can exactly occupy the same place at the same time.” Hence, when we give all the room to the Holy Spirit, there will be no space for ‘unclean spirits’ and we will definitely bear good fruit. It is very important, therefore, to comprehend the essence of the fruit of the Spirit.
1. Necessity of fruit. Fruit-bearing is needed for at least three reasons:
Necessity #1: To set us free. No one can earn salvation and righteousness with God by following the law of religion, rituals and ‘right’ appearances. This kind of religiosity simply confronts us with the stark reality about our guilt and our inability to satisfy the requirements of the law, that no matter what we do, we will always fall short.
What Christ has done on the Cross has delivered us from the power of sin. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). This freedom allows us to no longer be enslaved to what comes natural to us, but to fight the old nature and live a life that is holy and pleasing to God. A pardoned death convict who has been given a new lease on life will do more than say “thank you”, but will turn a new leaf. And as a safeguard, we need to constantly be in touch with the truth to avoid being captive again to prison life. Abiding in God’s Word inevitably prepares us for obedience. “If you hold to My teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
Necessity #2: Proof of life. A tree is recognized by its fruit. Hence, the evidence that we have life in Christ is a Spirit-filled life. “No one who has been washed clean will want to puddle in the mud. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). Distaste for sin develops. Personal transformation follows. Moreover, we will no longer look out for ourselves only, but we will grow in concern for the spiritual well-being of others. Galatians 6:1-2 exhorts: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Necessity #3: Benefits others. A fruitless tree is good for nothing (Matthew 21:19). Fruit is good for the picking that others may eat of it. We bear fruit to be of service to others. “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:13-14).
2. Purpose of fruit. The fruit we bear is not that we may be glorified, but that we may glorify God. To serve others in love is to do so unto the Lord. In a “fish-eat-fish” environment, we need to have our tanks filled with the Spirit of God, not only for our survival, but also for those who are drowning. Too often, we go spear fishing rather than being fishers of men. How many of us go fishing but do not care about the fish? How many of us are so focused on getting converts, yet do not really care for the people’s needs? Is it any wonder, then, that we are perceived as un-Christian by a great number of people. “We are known for what we oppose rather than what we stand for.” To remove the “un” from un-Christian, we need to do two things: to love them the way Jesus Christ loves them and to build relationships with them because as the old saying goes, “They will not care what you know, until they know that you care.”
3. Quality of fruit. Are we rotten, bitter, sour or sweet to the taste of people around us? Do they get to sample quality fruit that make them crave for more? If the navigational instrument called the Global Positioning System recalculates and gives directions to get us from point A to point B, we should be built on Christ using God’s Positional System to bring us to where we should be as Christians. To produce quality fruit, we should be partakers of God’s divine nature, where LOVE is on top of faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness (2 Peter 1:3-8). Just as compliance to best practices merits a high-grade certification for quality control in organizations, the quality of our fruit depends on the Vine we are attached to. “But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward” (1 Cor. 3:10b-14).
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Are others enticed to Christianity because of our “patikim” (sampling)? Think about it.
I hope that it will be used if ever we are having a series called the Fruit of the Spirit in Victory Cavite, it can be used as the Introudction. I hope and pray that it will be manifested in our lives!!
