Are You Bearing Good Fruit?

Alfio La Spina

March 2021

Matthew 3:10 (NIV) 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

This is serious stuff, if we are idle going through the motions shuffling in and out of services having no contact with our brothers and sisters during the week not adding to our talents there will be no fruit.

Matthew 21:19-20 (NIV) 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

The above verse explains exactly what will happen and is happening right now in the Church of God. People have been lulled asleep because they are not being fed that is the number one reason. However, people have a responsibility to be active in their own personal growth. If you’re not being fed where you are, if the sermons are boring and dead ask God to help you find spiritual food.  Seek it out strive for it.  Don’t listen to the leaders that say if you leave here you lose your salvation.  Anyone that says that to you is not of God. Jesus is the only way; he is our salvation. There are many fables being taught in  the COGs and have been for so long that they have been accepted as truth.

Brethren we need to prove everything that is taught. If we do not have the truth, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

2 Thessalonians 2:12 (NIV) 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Jude 1:12 (NIV) 12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.

Matthew 7:15-20 (NIV) 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

The key to bearing good fruit is in the condition of our hearts. Examine your heart ask God to show you what is in there. Do you always put God first in your life? Do you love your brother?  What are you thinking about most of time? What are your motives when you help someone? These are good questions to ask ourselves.

Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV) 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Watch not to be deceived by doing own your thing.  By doing what you think is right.   We have the Holy Spirit that guides us and teaches us. We must listen to it when we are shown by the Holy Spirit something that we need to change we must act on it immediately. Don’t put it off ask for God’s help to deal with it strive to change. If you do this every time you are shown something by the Holy Spirit you will bear good fruit.

1 John 2:27 (NIV) 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV) The Sheep and the Goats 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

We see above who had the right heart by their service to others and it was a natural thing for them to do because they did not even know they were doing it for our Lord too. They saw needs and their hearts burned to fill those needs for their brothers and sisters. We also have an obligation to our neighbour. We must go about doing good all the time.

John 15:1-9 (NIV) 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 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.5 “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. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

We must obey what Jesus tells us to do in order to remain in Him and bear good fruit and as we do our Father removes things in us that are not good so we can bear more fruit. Those that are doing nothing will be cut off 

John 15:9-17 (NIV) 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

This is amazing that our Lord calls us His friends and everything that He has learned from His Father He has revealed to us.  However, we must do what He commands us to do.  “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” This can only be done when we guard our hearts and daily ask for help to keep our hearts right. It is a daily struggle to overcome however as we strive for perfection it becomes easier because our old nature dies and we become more like our Father

Galatians 5:22-26 (NIV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, 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 flesh 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.

Ephesians 5:5-11 (NIV) 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater —has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV) 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Colossians 1:9-10 (NIV) 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

Hebrews 13:15-16 (NIV) 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

James 3:17-18 (NIV) 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.