Good works or good fruit? It's both.

Grace and peace to you dear friends,

 To day we're going to talk about fruit trees. Exciting thought isn't it.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10esv
   

Now I'm guessing you're wondering, what does that have to do with fruit trees? Well we're going to take a little ride on the analogy train this morning. I want you to think of yourself as a withered fruitless branch who, once you were "created in Christ Jesus" became alive after being grafted into the Fruit tree of Life and that act being "His workmanship". So you, not because of your fruit (because apart from Him you didn't have any) but because of God's Love for you, have been mercifully attached to Him. The whole point of God doing this is so that you can bear His fruit "which God prepared beforehand" for you. 

  

{Now I've assumed a connection here that you might not have. So let me explain, I consider any reference to "good works" to be the same as “sharing the fruit of the Spirit”. Which just happens to fit nicely with our analogy here. The fruit we as a new branch, attached to the Lord, produce is the fruit of the Spirit. It's this very act of producing and displaying of fruit/good works that show our dependency and His all sufficiency. And that brings Him honor and glory.} 

 

One of the unique things about fruit is that even if we produce it by the grace of God, unless we're sharing it, allowing others to enjoy it and be satisfied by it, it just shrivels up on the branch and rots. As a branch I need to be Joyfully satisfied in all that Christ is for me. After all He's my connection to the life giving power that will over flow in Love to meet the needs of those around me and this is “the sharing of fruit” the "good works". 

 

Now here is where the rubber hits the road. I some times feel more like a withered useless branch than I do a beautifully laden fruit bearing branch. Have you ever felt that way? There must be some secret to overcoming that dried up useless feeling right, well actually there is. It's not really a secret though, anyone willing to listen can have it. Meditate for a few minutes on this passage from Psalms 1 and the answer will jump out at you (it's in verse 2).

 

 "1Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. " Psalms 1:1-3

 

If our analogy is a correct view of reality as the Bible paints it what do you think the implications for us could be then? Leave me a comment or shoot me an email. I would love to hear from you and then tomorrow we'll pickup on this last thought about the implications and see where it takes us.

 

May the grace of our Lord God grant you a deeper understanding of His ways and a fresh hunger for the wisdom and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Amen.  

 

For the Joy of Your Faith,
Teagan