Bearing Good Fruit
Living By The Spirit
There's something beautiful about the start of a new season. Not just the turning of a calendar page, but those spiritual seasons that mark transitions in our faith journey. These seasons can last years, months, or even weeks—they're measured not by dates but by growth, transformation, and the fruit we bear.
Choosing the Right Fruit
Imagine standing in front of two watermelons, trying to determine which one is ripe and sweet. One might be shiny and attractive, catching your eye immediately. The other appears duller, perhaps less impressive at first glance. But experienced fruit pickers know the truth: the shiny watermelon often deceives. The truly ripe fruit has a creamy yellow field spot, brown webbing, and a dull—not shiny—rind. It's heavy for its size, and when you examine the stem, you can tell if it was picked at the right time.
This simple agricultural wisdom carries profound spiritual truth. Just as we can be deceived by a shiny watermelon, we can be fooled by outward religious appearances. True spiritual fruit isn't about polish and presentation—it's about genuine transformation that begins on the inside and manifests outwardly.
What Does Good Fruit Look Like?
The Apostle Paul gives us a clear picture in Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These aren't just internal feelings or private virtues—they're visible, tangible qualities that others can see in our lives.
Good fruit means positive, visible outcomes of a life transformed by God. It's reflecting Christ's character through actions like love, kindness, and service, not just religious talk. It signifies spiritual growth, obedience, and tangible evidence of faith that distinguishes genuine believers by the righteous works and godly character they produce.
Think about it: Do people know you're a Christian without you having to tell them? When they discover your faith, are they surprised? The goal isn't merely being nice—it's being genuinely kind, going out of your way to serve others, demonstrating the character of Christ in everyday interactions.
The Works of the Flesh
To understand good fruit, we must also recognize its opposite. The works of the flesh are numerous: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, and more. Add to this list pride, greed, anger, rebellion, lying, and unforgiveness.
Why do people walk in the flesh instead of the Spirit? Because they live by sinful human desires and worldly temptations. They rely on themselves rather than inviting God into every area of their lives. But when we become believers, the old self dies and a new creation rises—this is the beautiful picture of water baptism, where we publicly declare that transformation.
Staying Connected to the Vine
Jesus taught this principle powerfully in John 15:4-5: "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
The key word is "remain." We cannot produce spiritual fruit through our own effort or willpower. We must stay connected to Jesus, the true vine. Just as a watermelon grows through its vine, receiving all its nourishment and life from that connection, we must maintain our connection to Christ.
How do we remain connected? Through praising God in all circumstances. Through studying Scripture daily—research shows that reading God's Word four, five, or six times per week creates transformational change in ways that once or twice weekly reading doesn't. Through living a life led by the Holy Spirit, inviting Him to guide our decisions rather than relying solely on our own understanding.
Walking by the Spirit
Paul writes in Galatians 5:16, "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Notice the verb: walk. This should be natural, automatic, constant—like physical walking that we do without thinking about each step.
Our ancestors walked everywhere. They didn't overthink it; they just walked. That's how the Holy Spirit should function in our lives. It should be natural to listen to His promptings, to feel His conviction (not condemnation) when we stray, to allow Him to guide us through decisions and difficulties.
The Spirit and the flesh are in direct opposition. They cannot coexist peacefully. You're either walking by one or the other. Freedom in Christ isn't a license to sin—it's an opportunity to serve others in love, fulfilling the entire law through the simple command to love your neighbor as yourself.
A Healthy Fear of the Lord
There's value in maintaining a healthy fear of the Lord—not a terror that makes us shake, but a reverence that acknowledges who He is: sovereign, holy, almighty. This fear keeps us from treating grace cheaply or using freedom as an excuse for fleshly indulgence.
Proverbs 9:10 reminds us: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." This reverence leads to wisdom, to better choices, to a life that honors God in every area.
The Challenge for This Season
As we enter this new season of bearing fruit, consider these challenges:
Praise God in all circumstances. When something unexpected happens, when difficulty comes, even when loss occurs—praise Him. Trust that He has something better around the corner.
Study Scripture consistently. Find a Bible study, join a group, or create a daily reading habit. Get into God's Word regularly and watch your life transform.
Live led by the Holy Spirit. Don't just use your own knowledge to make decisions. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you. Don't miss out on God's best.
Be a source of healing and life for others. Someone out there needs hope, needs Christ. Be light in the darkness.
And here's the most important truth: if you fall, get back up. If you fall again, get back up again. Keep walking in who God called you to be. Don't let the enemy keep you down. That's not what you were created for.
The Spirit and the flesh are in conflict, but those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. We live by the Spirit, so let us keep in step with the Spirit—walking naturally, bearing fruit abundantly, and reflecting the character of Christ to a world that desperately needs to see Him.
To watch the full sermon "Bearing Good Fruit" click here
Choosing the Right Fruit
Imagine standing in front of two watermelons, trying to determine which one is ripe and sweet. One might be shiny and attractive, catching your eye immediately. The other appears duller, perhaps less impressive at first glance. But experienced fruit pickers know the truth: the shiny watermelon often deceives. The truly ripe fruit has a creamy yellow field spot, brown webbing, and a dull—not shiny—rind. It's heavy for its size, and when you examine the stem, you can tell if it was picked at the right time.
This simple agricultural wisdom carries profound spiritual truth. Just as we can be deceived by a shiny watermelon, we can be fooled by outward religious appearances. True spiritual fruit isn't about polish and presentation—it's about genuine transformation that begins on the inside and manifests outwardly.
What Does Good Fruit Look Like?
The Apostle Paul gives us a clear picture in Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These aren't just internal feelings or private virtues—they're visible, tangible qualities that others can see in our lives.
Good fruit means positive, visible outcomes of a life transformed by God. It's reflecting Christ's character through actions like love, kindness, and service, not just religious talk. It signifies spiritual growth, obedience, and tangible evidence of faith that distinguishes genuine believers by the righteous works and godly character they produce.
Think about it: Do people know you're a Christian without you having to tell them? When they discover your faith, are they surprised? The goal isn't merely being nice—it's being genuinely kind, going out of your way to serve others, demonstrating the character of Christ in everyday interactions.
The Works of the Flesh
To understand good fruit, we must also recognize its opposite. The works of the flesh are numerous: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, and more. Add to this list pride, greed, anger, rebellion, lying, and unforgiveness.
Why do people walk in the flesh instead of the Spirit? Because they live by sinful human desires and worldly temptations. They rely on themselves rather than inviting God into every area of their lives. But when we become believers, the old self dies and a new creation rises—this is the beautiful picture of water baptism, where we publicly declare that transformation.
Staying Connected to the Vine
Jesus taught this principle powerfully in John 15:4-5: "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
The key word is "remain." We cannot produce spiritual fruit through our own effort or willpower. We must stay connected to Jesus, the true vine. Just as a watermelon grows through its vine, receiving all its nourishment and life from that connection, we must maintain our connection to Christ.
How do we remain connected? Through praising God in all circumstances. Through studying Scripture daily—research shows that reading God's Word four, five, or six times per week creates transformational change in ways that once or twice weekly reading doesn't. Through living a life led by the Holy Spirit, inviting Him to guide our decisions rather than relying solely on our own understanding.
Walking by the Spirit
Paul writes in Galatians 5:16, "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Notice the verb: walk. This should be natural, automatic, constant—like physical walking that we do without thinking about each step.
Our ancestors walked everywhere. They didn't overthink it; they just walked. That's how the Holy Spirit should function in our lives. It should be natural to listen to His promptings, to feel His conviction (not condemnation) when we stray, to allow Him to guide us through decisions and difficulties.
The Spirit and the flesh are in direct opposition. They cannot coexist peacefully. You're either walking by one or the other. Freedom in Christ isn't a license to sin—it's an opportunity to serve others in love, fulfilling the entire law through the simple command to love your neighbor as yourself.
A Healthy Fear of the Lord
There's value in maintaining a healthy fear of the Lord—not a terror that makes us shake, but a reverence that acknowledges who He is: sovereign, holy, almighty. This fear keeps us from treating grace cheaply or using freedom as an excuse for fleshly indulgence.
Proverbs 9:10 reminds us: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." This reverence leads to wisdom, to better choices, to a life that honors God in every area.
The Challenge for This Season
As we enter this new season of bearing fruit, consider these challenges:
Praise God in all circumstances. When something unexpected happens, when difficulty comes, even when loss occurs—praise Him. Trust that He has something better around the corner.
Study Scripture consistently. Find a Bible study, join a group, or create a daily reading habit. Get into God's Word regularly and watch your life transform.
Live led by the Holy Spirit. Don't just use your own knowledge to make decisions. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you. Don't miss out on God's best.
Be a source of healing and life for others. Someone out there needs hope, needs Christ. Be light in the darkness.
And here's the most important truth: if you fall, get back up. If you fall again, get back up again. Keep walking in who God called you to be. Don't let the enemy keep you down. That's not what you were created for.
The Spirit and the flesh are in conflict, but those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. We live by the Spirit, so let us keep in step with the Spirit—walking naturally, bearing fruit abundantly, and reflecting the character of Christ to a world that desperately needs to see Him.
To watch the full sermon "Bearing Good Fruit" click here
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