Bearing Much Fruit

In contrasting the works of the flesh to the fruit of the Spirit, there are variations of an illustration I heard in a sermon yesterday I have also heard by others over the years.  It goes something like this:  "You don't walk by an apple tree and hear it straining to pop out apples by effort.  The fruit of the Spirit is something produced by the presence of the Holy Spirit within you."  I can understand why this analogy is provided to explain how we are enabled to be spiritually fruitful because the Holy Spirit indwells and enables us to do so.  But this example can be potentially misleading because it is narrowly focused on a complex, multi-faceted relationship believers share with God.  What it can suggest is, "Trees bear fruit naturally, and Christians produce fruit supernaturally without any effort or a struggle at all.  It will just happen."  And this is plain wrong.

In the scripture believers are compared to trees and branches of the Vine who is Christ, but we are not trees comprised of roots, bark, wood, and leaves.  There are critical differences between a tree planted by rivers of water and a human being who lives in a body of flesh with a sin nature,  has a mind and will of his own, and desires to follow Jesus faithfully.  It is true apple trees do not groan to expend effort as flowers bud in season, nor when the small apples develop into delicious, edible fruit we enjoy.  Trees do groan and creak under the weight of their heavy boughs in strong wind and rain, however, and sometimes limbs break.  I have never heard the analogy carried this far.  It is one thing to bear fruit, and another thing to carry it.

Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in contrast to the sinful works of the flesh in Galatians 5:22-23:  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."  Apart from this divinely produced fruit, there are at least two other ways people are connected with fruit in scripture:  the fruit of the lips, and the fruit of the womb.  There is personal sacrifice connected with this fruitfulness.  Hebrews 13:15-16 says, "Therefore by Him [Jesus] let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. ¹⁶ But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."  It is wise to think before we speak, to be considerate and edify others with gracious words.  This does not happen automatically but requires intentional effort to these ends.  It may be at times due to the work of the Holy Spirit within us we are kind and gentle without realising it because God is faithful to sanctify us.  But I expect there are far more times when we must intentionally respond to conviction with repentance, take wicked thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, hold our tongues, or make an effort thank and praise God even when it hurts.

When it comes to the fruit of the womb the entire process is filled with intention:  conceiving, carrying, bearing, and caring for a baby is filled with personal sacrifices and effort.  Plum trees produce plums, and human beings bear human babies that require constant care.  Before Christ we were dead in trespasses and sins, spiritually impotent to produce anything pleasing to God.  We were like barren Sarah, Rebekah, Hannah, or Elizabeth, incapable to conceive spiritual fruit which can only come from God.  God graciously intervened in the lives of these women and caused them to fall pregnant by natural means and give birth to sons.  It was God's work, yet they were personally involved in dealing with carrying a baby (or two!), enduring a painful natural labour, and then rising at all hours to feed, change, and care for their newborns.  This to me is a much better representation of the spiritual fruitfulness which comes from God and our subservient role to Him.  The Holy Spirit causes us to be fruitful and by God's grace we are enabled to cooperate in the process.

I do not believe for a moment as Jesus walked on this earth the fruit of the Spirit was produced in His life without effort.  Before He demonstrated love to all mankind by dying on the cross for our sins, He agonised in prayer and sweat blood.  He was not an immovable oak but the Son of God clothed in sweating human flesh with feelings, thoughts, and temptations.  Paul did not assure the Galatians this fruit would just happen because they were born again but said in Galatians 5:22-26:  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."  The fruit of the Spirit to be evident in a life which has been crucified with Christ.  Forget straining to pop out apples:  nothing less than crucifixion is required!  Jesus said if anyone wants to follow Him, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily.  Following Jesus isn't something we only choose to do once and then are supernaturally carried on a litter.  Walking means effort, decisions, and endurance.

Jesus was crucified on Calvary and died so we might live and He through us (Galatians 2:20).  See the exhortations to action here:  walk in the Spirit, do not become conceited, cease provoking or envying one another.  There are things we are called to labour to do and sinful things we intentionally cease doing.  No effort of the flesh can enable us to produce the fruit of the Spirit, yet having been born again by the indwelling Holy Spirit we labour, putting our hands to the plough alongside Jesus Christ our Saviour without looking back.  Jesus said to His disciples in John 15:4-5, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."