THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14
John 15:1-8
Psalm 1:1-6

Is mine a “trusty” Sword
or a rusty sword?

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT (I)

It is the longing and desire of God the Father that we bear fruit for Him. He expects it of every true child. Don’t you think this is reasonable? A Christian who has no fruit proves himself false and worthless, good only for the fire. So he will be “cast forth as a branch” and burnt (John 15:6). Jesus says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

The “fruit of the Spirit” does not mean any sort of charitable works. Men in society, “do-gooders,” philanthropists and others engage in every kind of social relief, benevolent aid, homes for orphans and old people, etc. While society is benefitted and such works are needful and appreciated, nevertheless they are not the fruit of the Spirit. Only those who have been born of the Spirit can bear the fruit of the Spirit.

The question is: “Are you a child of God, born of the Spirit and joined to the body of Christ?” God’s Words says, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members… are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body… and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor 12:12-13). The Spirit is the vital link between us and Christ: it is He who baptizes us into the body of Christ; it is He who gives us to drink of His life-giving water. It is the Spirit who joins us to Christ, like branches to the vine. Without God’s Spirit, this union can never take place, but once joined, the life-giving sap of divine life begins to flow and circulate from Jesus to us. Only then can we bear fruit.

Fruit-bearing is not a product of the flesh. We cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit by our own will power, good resolution or determination. Fruitbearing implies a surrender of one’s will to the Spirit. We hand over the control of our life to the Spirit, and let Him energize us and motivate and empower us. Then, and only then, will the fruit of the Spirit appear. Men seeing our fruit will know that Christ lives in us.

THOUGHT: The fruit of the Spirit comes from a Spirit-controlled life.
PRAYER: Lord, may I be empowered to be fruitful for Thee.