The Fruit of the Spirits not a Coconut

When I say fruit, what do you think of? Probably a banana, apple, pear, grape. Some of you may even lean into the exotic side of things... Maybe a papaya? Well, I want to take a little time to look at fruit, tests, trials, and pruning. I know that seems like a lot but by the grace of God, He will some how tie all of that together. I have some scripture written down but I am not really sure where He is going to take this... So lets dive in.

When I think of fruit, It takes me back to a time... (not all that long ago). I was probably about 8 and I went to G.A. Camp (Girls in Action - its like a Christian girl scouts). At the end of the week when our parents came to pick us up we did different performances. I got put into the group that was doing the fruits of the Spirit. And yes, I did end up dressing up as a banana... I'll give you a moment to laugh at the ridiculousness, Hannah Banana.
Anyways, this performance did teach me something, the fruits of the Spirit, which is where I want to start out. So, What is fruit? In the Word "fruit" is talking about our works. The things that other people see when they look at us. The characteristics of Christ that are shown through us. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."
The first thing that needs to happen for us to bear fruit is to accept Christ. We need His seed to be sown in our hearts. "Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness."  So to simplify this, we accept Christ, receive His seed, get watered (John 4:14), and through Him begin to bear fruit.  Right here is where the majority of people trip up. They think this is all that is required of them. These type of people are from Matthew 13 the parable of the sower - the seed that has no root and endures until tribulation or persecution arises. There are many people that believe that as Christians we should NEVER see hard times. That we should accept Christ and from then on our life should be a cake walk. Just rainbows, flowers, fairytales, and unicorns. If that is you, I'm sorry to tell you this, but fairytales and unicorns are NOT REAL. They are made up. Imaginary, as is this concept. 
So this is really what I feel led to talk about today. The concept of trials, tests, and pruning are all throughout the Word. How are we suppose to continue to bear this fruit if we are not being watered? If we are not pruned? 
I want to start out in John 15. My Bible refers to this as "The Fruit Chapter". Jesus is speaking in this passage.

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." 


What this starts out saying is that Jesus is the vine, and God is the vinedressser. Every branch that does not bear fruit is going to be cut off the vine, and thrown into the fire. Pretty bold. If you are not abiding in Christ, attached to the vine, that means you're in the fire. Plain and simple. What I really want to focus on here is verse two. "and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." This PROMISES that those of us in Christ (attached to the vine and bearing fruit) should expect trials and tests for SPIRITUAL CLEANSING so we may be more fruitful. We should expect this, even desire these things. Why? Well I really like how it is put in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
"9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."

In other words, we were once all sinners but we were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. We were PRUNED & CLEANSED to inherit the kingdom of God. In John 17:17 it talks about how we are sanctified or cleansed by God's truth. That His word is truth. 
I just want to take a second to look at the greek root word of prune. The word is kathairo from 'katharos' : to cleanse, to prune, to expiate, to purge. 
To purge. Purge. The dictionary meaning of purge is to rid someone of an unwanted feeling, memory, or CONDITION. I don't know about you, but to me this sounds unpleasant.... I want to connect this to Hebrews 1:3 "who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high"
When He had purged our sins. PURGED THEM. Rid us of them. 


So what I am saying here is to bear fruit, and to bear more fruit (as in John 15:2) we have to go through trials through tests. We must be pruned, cleansed, sanctified, purged. We must be made new. The gross stuff that is within us, our flesh, must be crucified. "The He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (Luke 9:23) We must, when faced with a test, crucify our flesh and follow the Lord. These tests are meant to produce more fruit. 
Lets use an example from something I have been dealing with. So I work with 6-12 month olds. I have ten children on roll. So on any given day me and another teacher can be taking care of 10 infants for 8 hours a day, sometimes longer. There are many times through out the day that impatience comes up, especially when I have one that is extra fussy. 
What the Lord has shown me is THIS IS A TEST, THIS IS PRUNING. He has shown me to pray for patience, ask for this. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7) In this moment I can choose to be impatient, lash out at my co-teacher, and dwell in this feeling (which is what the enemy would love) or I can choose to pray, ask for patience, and stand in the promise that I have asked and it will be given to me. If I go with the latter this is causing me to receive that patience that FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. To produce more fruit. I have been tried, tested, received, and bore more Spiritual fruit. Amen. 


So I am hoping by now I've been able to show you just a glimpse of how when we are abiding IN CHRIST, when we are connected to that vine that is Jesus our savior, the Lord tests us, tries us, so that we may produce more of His fruit that comes from His seed that has been sown in our hearts. 
Now I want to show that we are to REJOICE during these trials. That we are to be thankful for His pruning!!


Lets hop to 1 Peter. In chapter 5 verses 9-11 we are told to resist the enemy, stand in faith knowing that our brothers and sisters in Christ also endure or have endured these same tests and trials. It also tells us that through these things God is perfecting, strengthening, and settling us.
In Romans 8:18 we are encouraged by the result of our trials. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us"
Then, a few verses later we are encouraged by the sovereignty of God. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Meaning EVERYTHING that happens to you... That speeding ticket you got last week, that computer crash you had, the child that you bore at age 17, EVERYTHING works together for the good of those who love Him. How do you know you love Him? Check out John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." Then hop over to verse 21, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."


 There is just one last passage I want to touch and that is in Malachi 3. 
"2. But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiners fire And like launderers' soap 3. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness."
I love this passage because it promises us that purification, that purging. It promises us that we will be put through the fire that our impurities may rise to the surface so that He can wipe them away and purify us.


Praise the Lord for the trials and tests He puts us through to bear that fruit. In my life I've been seeing them numerous times a day. My family is facing the fire right now. We are going through a tremendous amount of spiritual cleansing to become more and more like Christ. Praise the Lord!