The Outcome Fruit

The Outcome

Fruit

There are two types of fruit trees

The ones left to their own that grow naturally

And the fruit trees that are cultivated like the ones in an orchard 

Natural fruit trees do not produce good fruit

Fruit trees that are lovingly cared for produce good fruit

Like wise

The outcome of living a life naturally will not produce good fruit 

The old saying that says “if it feels good do it” doesn’t work  

The outcome of living a life controlled by the Spirit of God produces good fruit

The person who allows the Spirit of God to work in their life will enjoy

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control

Now that is fruit that tastes good

And that works a blessing in you and others

Fruit

Jesus cursed a fig tree for not having figs.

It almost did not seem fair

because it was not the season for figs.

But think about it…

If your life or mine does not have

good fruit we are living the curse.

One of the greatest outcomes

of the believer’s life is fruit.

Galatians 5 gives us a list of fruit that comes from

living a life where the Spirit of God is leading.

There are two ways we grow…

The first is the natural way.

I planted five fruit trees in my

back yard several years ago.

Because I do not know how to prune and I

forget to fertilize them, they do not produce.

In other words, these fruit trees left to

their own natural nature either do not

produce fruit or the fruit is not edible.

Just a few miles from my

house is MacQueen’s Orchard.

Their trees are not left to their

own natural way of growing.

They prune, fertilize, water and who knows

what else they put those trees through.

In the spring my trees look

better than MacQueen’s trees.

But when it comes to fruit,

people come from everywhere to buy

the great tasting fruit from their trees.

It is the spirit of MacQueen’s

that makes the trees fruitful.

You and I are the same way.

 Left to the natural way of growing, we will not

produce fruit or the fruit will not amount to much.

Why?

The answer is found in Galatians 5.

It is the natural nature or

rightly called the sinful nature.

The sinful or natural nature is cursed

because it wants to be loved.

The natural way of life is to get what you want.

It is a love that is self-serving.

The second way we grow is

to grow by the Spirit of God.

Like the work and care MacQueens

gives to their trees, those who let God

work and care for them will produce fruit.

When we allow God to fulfill our need for love

and see His example of sacrifice to give us love we

focus in what we can give not want we can receive.

The cursed tree or life is…

 Immoral, filled with hatred, discord, jealousy,

rage, selfish ambition, envy, etc.  

The blessed tree or life is filled with love, joy,

peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control.

The outcome of the natural life is a curse.

The outcome of a faith-filled life is blessing.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you

know the Spirit of God is working in

you to bring out your fullest potential.

You know how to love

others as Christ loved you.

You know the results.

The outcome is the wonderful fruit of

the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22.

Scripture Reading

1 Peter 1:8, 9 ESV

⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹ obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Galatians 5:13-26 NIV

13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."   15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.