We pay a heavy price spiritually for our “little” sins.
“All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.” Romans 8:14
A child of GOD knows perfectly well when our behavior
grieves the Holy Spirit. We feel the
uneasiness within ourselves, a separation, a lack of peace. We also know the
appropriate response when this happens should be to confess and repent, sooner
rather than later.
Sometimes we can have feelings of distance from GOD and not know the
exact cause. In such cases, we ought to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the
source of our inner discontent because often there is something there.
The one who conceals his sins
will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy. Proverbs 28:13
What we should never do is continually ignore the warning from
the Holy Spirit and make no repentance for our sinful behavior. This is unwise
and puts us on a downward spiral spiritually so that:
- Over time our hearts harden against GOD. (Hebrews 3:13)
- Our testimony as children of GOD is weakened so that non-believers see us as no different from the rest of the world. (1 Peter 2:11-12)
- We cease to make a positive impact on the Kingdom of GOD and the body of CHRIST. (Matthew 5:13-16)
- We live beneath our privilege and the Father’s expectations.
- We don’t bear good fruit.
“When we Christians behave
badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside
world.” C.S. Lewis
GOD’s desire for all His children is that we bear fruit.
Once we make confessions of faith in the atoning work of
JESUS CHRIST on the cross, we become the children of GOD and followers of JESUS.
We belong to the Father as well as to His
SON (1 John 2:23) and we obey the SON as we do the Father. “This is My Son, the Chosen One; listen to
Him!” Luke 9:35.
JESUS’ instructions to believers come directly from the
Father: “For I have not spoken on My own,
but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a command as to what I should
say and what I should speak.” John 12:49;
“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30.
In His own words JESUS tells His followers how and why we bear fruit:
“I am the true vine,
and my Father is the gardener…. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must
remain in the vine…if you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing… you did not choose me, but I chose you and
appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” John 15:1-16
We have the two main ingredients necessary for the production
of Spiritual fruit.
- The Father, GOD, the Divine Gardener.
- JESUS, the Vine.
…and the specific formula by which the fruit is produced:
- Branches are selected and divinely appointed for the job – “I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit.”
- The chosen branches must remain attached to the Vine – “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine…if you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…”
The Father and the SON are Divine, Holy and immutable, they do not change and can never be less than they are in the fruit-bearing
process. The Divine Gardener who has
purchased the field and the Vine who
is the source of life that feeds the fruit. That being the case, any lack of
spiritual fruit production must be a lack on our part - we, the branches, are failing to do our part.
If we want to please GOD, we must make some major life-style adjustments.
Whatever interferes with our ability to fulfill our divine purpose
of fruit-bearing must be removed from our lives and replaced with that which
moves us forward to having the life the Father plans for us. We must remain in the vine, which is the
Spirit of JESUS, the Holy Spirit that He sent to live in us after He returned
to the Father in Heaven.
Believers who live apart from the Spirit are living in the
flesh and this displeases GOD since we cannot fulfill our divine purpose in the
flesh. The fruit that we are to bear is of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness,
self-control. Galatians 5: 22-23.
For those who live
according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live
according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. Those who are in the flesh cannot please
God. Romans 8:5-8
There’s but one way to deal with the little foxes, those
little sins that trip us up. We have to kill them to prevent them from spoiling
our fruit. They rob our lives of healthy fruit that the Holy Spirit is waiting
and wanting to produce in and through us.
Most importantly, if the little foxes are not put to death
they will grow into big foxes!
“…for if you live
according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to
death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13
To be continued…
Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, we thank YOU for being the Divine
Gardner who has prepared a place for us to grow and thrive in YOUR Kingdom and for
JESUS CHRIST our source of life. Thank YOU also for the Holy Spirit to guide us.
Help us to be faithful to our calling and keep reminding us that our lives are
not our own that have been bought with a price, the precious blood of your only
SON. Thank you for never giving up on those who are chosen and that none that believe
in the SON will be lost. We are grateful. All glory, honor and praise belong to
YOU. We pray and ask all things in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Always by God’s Word and prayer,
Cecile
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