The fruitfulness that comes from living in Christ is the “abundant life.” Jesus said, “. . . I came that they might have life, and might have {it} abundantly.” The fruit of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” is “the Law.” A commandment is not the “Law.” A commandment is a Word for life. “The Law” bears with it penalties that range in severity, according to the type of transgression. The Law was not given first, the commandments for life were. “The Law” followed. Why, because the people listened to their flesh, their sinful passions, rather than to God. To the carnal man the commandments of Christ and the followers of Christ “smell of death” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). The carnal man can only know “The Law” for he is already condemned (John 3:18). But Christ, Who fulfilled the Law and its penalties for us by His death, has risen from the dead. And, those who are joined to Him by faith, have died with Him and are given “new life,” eternal life abundantly. Now, we can chose to eat of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” and suffer “the second death.” OR, we can eat of the Tree of Life and live eternally. Having once tasted of His goodness, why would I desire the forbidden fruit of the knowledge of good and evil? Think about it.

“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust”(James 1:14). Self-control is the gatekeeper of the safe-haven of the human spirit. Eve was not led astray by Satan. He merely suggested that God was not good or just. Because Eve would not control her own desires for pleasure, knowledge and power, she “took and ate.” And, Adam, too, would not control his lust. So sin was born to mankind and in its maturity became death. But, there came a “Second Adam,” Jesus Christ, “who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) And God “made Him, who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2Corithians 5:21)

The greatest struggle we will face, the greatest tribulation in this world, is the struggle between spirit and flesh. Are we left to wrestle on our own? No! God in his goodness and righteousness has given us His might through Jesus Christ to be “more than conquerors.” Our Faithful God will not let us, His children, “be tempted beyond what we are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that we may be able to endure it.” (1Corinthians 10:13)

The fruit of self-control in the Christian’s life is like a guiding light to the lost and dying soul, showing the way to the refuge of God in Christ Jesus Our Lord. Is your light shining or has lust overshadowed it? Think about it.

Gentleness springs from knowing God, knowing we are children of God and knowing each human’s condition. Gentleness is Compassion handling the wounded, the afflicted and the poor with mercy. Jesus calls to the “weary and heavy-laden” to come to Him for He is “gentle and humble in heart.” With this Gentle Master mankind will “find rest” for their souls. Sin is a harsh taskmaster, driving those who serve him without rest, without pity until death, and then, into hell. Gentleness is like velvet over steel for it is, not only compassionate, it exercises its God-given authority and strength to bring succor to the suffering inhabitants of earth. Gentleness, along with its authority and strength, employs wisdom, discernment and knowledge in helping the “less fortunate.” Look into history, look about you, today; you will see the evidence of Christians’ fruitfulness in gentleness. It is the Christian, fruitful in gentleness, who helps bear the worldly burden of trouble and serves the goodness of the Lord to suffering humanity. Think about it.

“Great is Thy Faithfulness,” is the inscription over the doorway of every heart that has been blinded, broken or bound by Sin and Death, and, rescued by God. Every pilgrim saint, that has sunk in the Slough of Despond, because of his or her faithlessness, has bolstered hope with the cry, “Though I am faithless, You, O Lord, remain faithful!”

I am sure that every one of us can remember, painfully, a time when our trust was broken by another. Perhaps some of us still bear the wound. God sent His Son as proof of His faithfulness to His love and promises for us. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend . . ,” says the Proverb. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and chastised so that we might be free, healed and at peace. What a faithful Friend!

When we became Christians, we entrusted our lives to the Vine and the Vinedresser. And, He has been faithfully attending to us; both preserving and cultivating that which we have entrusted to Him. The Holy Spirit gives us faith and works faithfulness into the fabric of our “new life.” The world treasures loyalty but the flesh cannot keep it. Mankind is desperate for faithfulness, but many have been blinded by the “god of this world,” broken by the afflictions of wickedness and bound by sin. Jesus, the Christ, came as God’s Servant to “bring good news to the afflicted, bind the brokenhearted and proclaim liberty to the captive.” And, He sends His servants to serve faithfulness from their earthen vessels to those in need. If we are fruitful in faithfulness, we are proof of His faithfulness. But even if we are faithless, He remains faithful. How great a foundation! Think about it.

“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them,” said Jesus. Fruit is the evidence of the life and kind of the plant that produced it. If I am the “planting of the Lord,” then my fruit will bear witness to it. If I am a “tare,” my fruit will also show evidence of it. In God’s eyes, I am a “planting of righteousness” but I am also in the process of maturing in righteousness. The Holy Spirit dwells in me because I have been made a holy temple” by God, for God. And, He is making me fit for the Tabernacle of the New Jerusalem. (This is still somewhat of a mystery to me).
A tree does not always bear fruit but does have a season of fruitfulness with each cycle of life. So it is with the life of a saint of God. There are seasons of cultivation, pruning, rest and fruit. There are seasons of fruitfulness, by the Spirit, and seasons of struggle with sin and the flesh. If we persevere by faith in doing the will of God, there will be life produced in every season—because God’s grace will see to it. Think about it.

By grace ye are saved and by grace we, God’s people, shall persevere in doing the will of God. The soil that we, the planting of the Lord, grow in is His grace. The Master Gardner has grafted us, into Jesus Christ, the True Vine, Who is rooted in God’s grace. We are expected to grow and mature to “fruit-bearing” ability. The branch that humbly and eagerly receives the grace of salvation begins to grow in grace; and, as he/she grows, more grace flows. Before every season of new growth, there is a season of preparation. It is in this season that the pruning of the Word of God is applied. Life in this world is stressful and sometimes damaging to the branch. But the Word of God is sharp and able to cleanse the dead or damaged parts of the branch so that it may continue to flourish. Though new plants grow and must endure pruning, it only produces fruit after a certain degree of maturity. And the old branch that has produced fruit in the past sometimes must endure the most rigorous pruning in order to remain fruitful. It is in the pruning period that the greatest care and consideration is given. Our Lord is truly masterful at pruning the yielded branches for future growth and fruitfulness. For us, the branches, the task is one of simply abiding in the Vine and under the care of the Master Gardner. Selah.