FRUIT REVEALS THE TRUTH
December 21, 2023
“Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them.” – Matthew 7:20
I want to share a little story with you today. When we moved into our house, the previous owner pointed out two trees in the yard and said they were plum trees. To be honest, they looked like regular trees to me, but I took him at his word and believed they were indeed plum trees.
The following year, all the trees in our yard bore fruit. My pear trees had pears, my fig trees had figs, but the so-called plum trees didn’t have a single plum. I gave them the benefit of the doubt for another year, but they remained fruitless. After three years of no plums, I began to doubt the previous owner’s claim. In fact, I started calling them “liars” because they claimed to be plum trees but didn’t produce any plums.
I would joke with friends who came over, telling them that the trees were called “liars” because they pretended to be plum trees but had nothing to show for it. You can imagine the laughter that this nickname generated.
But then, about a month ago, while I was mowing the yard, I glanced up into the tree and saw a big, bright, juicy red plum. I couldn’t believe my eyes. As I looked closer, I noticed more plums hanging from the branches. After five long years, these trees finally started producing plums. It was then that I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that these were indeed plum trees. The fruit revealed the truth.
In the same way, God gives true believers fruit in their lives. This fruit not only imparts us with characteristics that resemble God but also provides evidence of our faith and validates our relationship with the Lord to the world around us.
Just as I had doubts about those trees, people may question the authenticity of our faith. They might wonder if we are genuine believers or mere pretenders. However, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives serves as undeniable evidence of our relationship with God. It demonstrates the transformation that has taken place within us.
The fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, reveals the truth about our faith and character. It’s not about empty claims but tangible evidence. Just as those plums were the ultimate proof that our trees were indeed plum trees, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is the undeniable proof of our relationship with God.
“Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them.” – Matthew 7:20
I want to share a little story with you today. When we moved into our house, the previous owner pointed out two trees in the yard and said they were plum trees. To be honest, they looked like regular trees to me, but I took him at his word and believed they were indeed plum trees.
The following year, all the trees in our yard bore fruit. My pear trees had pears, my fig trees had figs, but the so-called plum trees didn’t have a single plum. I gave them the benefit of the doubt for another year, but they remained fruitless. After three years of no plums, I began to doubt the previous owner’s claim. In fact, I started calling them “liars” because they claimed to be plum trees but didn’t produce any plums.
I would joke with friends who came over, telling them that the trees were called “liars” because they pretended to be plum trees but had nothing to show for it. You can imagine the laughter that this nickname generated.
But then, about a month ago, while I was mowing the yard, I glanced up into the tree and saw a big, bright, juicy red plum. I couldn’t believe my eyes. As I looked closer, I noticed more plums hanging from the branches. After five long years, these trees finally started producing plums. It was then that I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that these were indeed plum trees. The fruit revealed the truth.
In the same way, God gives true believers fruit in their lives. This fruit not only imparts us with characteristics that resemble God but also provides evidence of our faith and validates our relationship with the Lord to the world around us.
Just as I had doubts about those trees, people may question the authenticity of our faith. They might wonder if we are genuine believers or mere pretenders. However, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives serves as undeniable evidence of our relationship with God. It demonstrates the transformation that has taken place within us.
The fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, reveals the truth about our faith and character. It’s not about empty claims but tangible evidence. Just as those plums were the ultimate proof that our trees were indeed plum trees, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is the undeniable proof of our relationship with God.
Subscribe
If you were blessed by or directly benefited from this content, please subscribe to receive receive daily devotions to your inbox.
No Comments