Good fruit vs bad fruit!! Ask a Crenshaw Kid about the fruit of the Spirit!
This week we spent some time discussing what the
Bible has to say about good fruit and bad fruit.
So, what does God mean when He talks about
“fruit” and when He describes it as “good” or
“bad”? How can we tell the difference?
Let’s first define good fruit.
Matthew 7:16-18 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
All born-again believers are given a new nature that desires to please the Lord as well as the filling of the Holy Spirit, which gives us the power to do so. We love God and others from this new nature, which is revealed in our outward behavior as fruit of the Spirit.
John 13:34-35 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
The believer’s obedience results from and is motivated by their love for God. This is good fruit.
John 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Bad fruit, then, can either be the complete opposite, outwardly evil behavior, or doing “good” for selfish reasons.
Here’s an illustration to help explain this second type of bad fruit: You overhear your mom saying that she won 2 tickets to The Lion King. She is undecided about which of her children to take on this special night out. Later on that night, your mom asks for a volunteer to help with the dinner dishes. Motivated by her love and gratitude, your sister volunteers for the chore. You also volunteer, but only in hopes that mom will choose you for The Lion King. Your mom sees no difference in the fruit, but God does.
God sees the heart, our motivation for all we think, say, and do. So, only He is able to truly discern if a person’s fruit is good or bad.
1 Samuel 16:7 …The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
No one is perfect and we all will have times of selfishness. If we realize, though, that we are doing “good” with improper motivation, thus creating bad fruit, we can stop, pray, and ask God for proper motivation. Then, by His power, we can produce good fruit for God’s glory! Yay!
John 13:34-35 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
The believer’s obedience results from and is motivated by their love for God. This is good fruit.
John 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Bad fruit, then, can either be the complete opposite, outwardly evil behavior, or doing “good” for selfish reasons.
Here’s an illustration to help explain this second type of bad fruit: You overhear your mom saying that she won 2 tickets to The Lion King. She is undecided about which of her children to take on this special night out. Later on that night, your mom asks for a volunteer to help with the dinner dishes. Motivated by her love and gratitude, your sister volunteers for the chore. You also volunteer, but only in hopes that mom will choose you for The Lion King. Your mom sees no difference in the fruit, but God does.
God sees the heart, our motivation for all we think, say, and do. So, only He is able to truly discern if a person’s fruit is good or bad.
1 Samuel 16:7 …The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
No one is perfect and we all will have times of selfishness. If we realize, though, that we are doing “good” with improper motivation, thus creating bad fruit, we can stop, pray, and ask God for proper motivation. Then, by His power, we can produce good fruit for God’s glory! Yay!
Here is a glimpse into Sunday School and Children's Church this past Sunday! Enjoy!
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches!
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