Chapter Four

FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

An Analogy From Nature

For a person to be talking about fruit when referring to personality concepts does seem somewhat foreign to the twenty-first-century mindset. We no longer live in an agrarian society. Understanding basic principles of life does not seem to be where the excitement is found. Yet, by coming to grips with the reality of our existence and knowing ourselves, we are understanding life. The best analogies are still to be found in the natural world, rather than the concrete jungles of human achievement—which do seem to be making giant strides as collective knowledge advances. Humans now have access to knowledge that goes beyond the mechanical engineering that enabled the industrialization of the nineteenth century. In turn, the advancement of the nineteenth century laid the foundation for the information age and the present technology of transhumanism, which has been spawned from the collective understanding of electrical engineering. Without electricity, the world would not be as we know it today. We would be living in an agricultural environment—that which the human race has known for most of its existence on this planet.

Application of Right Principles

The application of the right principles is what enables a commodity to emerge that did not previously exist. Once certain principles are understood, the commodity produced by those principles is the outcome of their application. We could say that it is unnecessary to understand the principles of a matter in order to know how to produce an outcome. For instance, if a person heats a container of water and it produces steam, the principles of turning liquids into gas do not need to be understood for this to happen. We only need to know how to heat water. However, for advancement to be made, the knowledge of the event needs to be understood in order for the principles learned to be applied within another set of circumstances or controlled criteria. For the most part, human knowledge has advanced by the accidental discovery of some phenomenon. This phenomenon is then analyzed after further experimentation and observation of what occurs under controlled conditions, to learn what is reproduced in the original format or in different formats, using various materials within varying environments. This is how we learn.

Introducing the Concepts of Reproduction and Replication

We are programmed to learn and understand the principles of reproduction. We are also programmed as biological entities to reproduce, as a matter of course, in order to propagate the species. The reproduction of many species of life on Earth requires the interaction of two individuals, with one being the receptive entity and the other the inseminator. This method of reproduction is biologically evident throughout all of Creation and applies to plants and animals with few exceptions; whereas at the cellular level, only self-replication is found. The idea of cloning more complex species (humans) and the self-replication of clones is often canvassed as a possibility that will occur in the not-too-distant future, once the principles of cellular replication using DNA are fully understood.

Misguided Leadership Principles Lead to False Economies

When we understand principles of how things work, we are able to put them into practice and achieve more for less effort. The same applies when it comes to producing the fruit of righteousness as Christians. Unfortunately, many of the principles of leadership that are applied in the business world do not produce the same kind of results within the Kingdom of God. They may work within corporations, but not in God’s Kingdom. Yet many Christian organizations have imitated the principles of worldly success to achieve (what on the surface appears as) successful church growth.

For instance, this is how one man set out to achieve a successful ministry after graduating with a master’s degree from a Bible seminary. He did a survey to find what demographic of the American population would be likely to produce the best results for church growth with the least effort. His conclusion was that people who were college educated and who were looking for some significance in life outside of their career, which gave them self-worth, would be the ideal population to convert. Then he set out to find a demographic where a high number of people who had earned Ph.D.s were residing. The result was a large, prosperous congregation without too much reliance on God being required.

Conversely, David Wilkerson traveled to New York, without possessing a postgraduate degree, led by God’s Spirit to help vicious, violent, forlorn youth involved in gang warfare. He founded an organization responsible for millions of people in disadvantaged populations finding the Lord Jesus as their Savior and having their lives transformed.

The fruit of righteousness emanates from the lives of individuals who give themselves to God and allow Him to transform their lives so they can replicate and reproduce to the glory of His Name. When we speak of fruit, we think of that which has the same seed as its parent and is capable of reproducing after its kind.

Reproduction Versus Replication

There is a distinction between reproducing and replicating a species that we can make, which will enable us to see the value of one means of increasing a population over the other. We will refer to reproduction as the natural process of establishing an ongoing species. Replication we will refer to as the imitation of the original without the ability to reproduce that which we would find in offspring that have been reproduced.

When a work is a replication of its originator, it will die off more quickly than is the case for reproductive offspring. This is because the people who come to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ do so more from an intellectual basis rather than an experiential one. The environment is more about ticking boxes and ensuring tasks have been done rather than producing fruit in the individual’s life that brings continual glory to God. Once a person has hurdled the fence and acknowledged that they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who died and rose from the dead, it becomes a matter of learning how to defend his or her belief system.

Apologetics is a branch of theology concerned with developing arguments to justify a person’s Christian beliefs from a rational perspective. Apologetics appeals to individuals who are replicators more than to producers who focus on the application of truth. Often, replicator types can be found arguing against the theory of evolution and quoting the Bible to tell atheists and other non-believers that they are wrong and that their views are false. Unfortunately, what usually happens is that those who disagree with them are further alienated from God, and the replicators—using apologetics—are more convinced of their own righteousness. But this is not the fruit of righteousness.

Apologetics and Applied Truth

It is true that apologetics does help Christians fortify their understanding of God, but not in the same way as applied truth does. Applied truth leads us to a place where we grow in faith and experience the grace of God more—which is something that is often misunderstood.

People confuse the idea of grace and faith for salvation because one is about receiving God’s favor and the other is the means by which we obtain His favor. How we obtain God’s favor is particularly evident when we read the following verse:

Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

As we can see, we cannot please God without faith. In other words, we cannot become recipients of God’s grace without faith. God bestows divine favor (otherwise known as grace) on those who please Him by exercising faith.

Salvation Through Faith or by Grace Alone?

One problem for many is that approval by faith suggests that we earn grace, that is, God’s divine favor. This, of course, contradicts the idea that salvation is not earned and is an act of God’s grace. To suggest that we obtain rewards through faith (as stated in the verse just quoted) is anathema to those who believe that we are saved by grace alone and nothing else. The suggestion that we obtain rewards from seeking God, the naysayers argue, is to boast about one’s own efforts and to claim that salvation is obtained by works. However, this is not the case at all. The Bible speaks of two types of works: self-effort to establish one’s own righteousness apart from God, and acts of faith that emanate from God’s grace. We exercise faith by trusting God to empower us so that we can do what He requires. Sin, of course, is the reason why people cannot see the truth, and many of those who maintain that they are saved by grace alone never repent of their sins, let alone overcome them. Because of the evil they entertain, they lack faith in God to honor His word to cleanse them and remove sin from their lives. Consequently, they continue to grovel and struggle with sin. Those of us who realize that sin has already been dealt with and trust God grow in faith because we have confidence in His ability to protect and provide for us. Even though we were once sinners, we have ceased being sinners. We are now saints, saved by the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This transformation comes as a result of applied truth being a part of our lives, not merely from the study of apologetics.

“Study to Show Yourself” Means?

For Christians, it can be dangerous to misunderstand what it means to diligently present oneself to God as a workman with no need to be ashamed, because the truth is being rightly handled. Unfortunately, for many, the Devil has found a foothold with the simple concept of “study to show yourself worthy of God,” leading them to eagerly learn doctrines, believing them to be the truth. This is the Scripture that is promoted by Bible colleges in their advertising to attract students.:

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV[i])

The word “study” today means “to obtain knowledge through reading, research, observation, investigation, experimentation, and the analysis of data.” However, this is not what the word "study" meant when the Greek word spoudason was originally translated into King James English. In 1611 AD, the word "study" meant diligence. To be diligent in presenting yourself to God really means “do your best to make yourself known to Him”—which is equivalent to seeking God’s presence. The Amplified Bible expounds on the text in Second Timothy: 

Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 AMPC)

Importantly, we need to do our utmost to present ourselves to God. As workmen, we will be tested by trial to see if we are approved for further appointments in the advancement of God’s kingdom. To suggest that a person has no need to meditate, investigate matters, and apply themselves to learning how to become a skillful teacher and preacher of God’s Word would be wrong; this knowledge must come from the applied understanding of the word of truth within one’s own life. According to the degree of understanding of applied truth possessed, people are able to demonstrate mastery of the Word of God in their lives and in situations where they are called upon to give an account of themselves. In this way, those who do not believe are condemned, while those who are looking for a better hope are saved. They can see that Jesus Christ is alive in everyone who claims to be a Christian. No longer is it just the empty shell of an individual who is speaking, but the Spirit of Christ manifesting in a human vessel.

Let us then look at the context from which this Scripture about being diligent to present ourselves to God is found. We read:

The farmers who labor must be the first to get a share of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the offspring of David, according to my Good News, in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained. Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones’ sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy:

“For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him. If we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He can’t deny Himself.”

Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they don’t argue about words, to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear.

Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth. But shun empty chatter, for it will go further in ungodliness, and those words will consume like gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; men who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and overthrowing the faith of some. (2 Tim. 2:6-18)

Spend Time In The Presence Of God

The times in which the Apostle was talking were not like today. Access to knowledge was not at their fingertips, as it is when we are near a computer or smartphone that is logged onto the internet. The context in which the Scripture is found clearly informs us that Timothy (to whom the letter was written) is being advised how a leader in the Church of God should think of himself—not as a hireling, but as a farmer who sows and reaps. The goal is the salvation of souls, which is done by the process of sowing and reaping. Nothing is to be taken for granted. Indeed, certain principles are true, and we who die to ourselves for Jesus’ sake will be raised with Him, but if we deny Him or are faithless, we will suffer loss. Therefore, we need to be mindful to spend time in the presence of God, learning how to rightly handle the word of truth by applying it to our own lives, so we have no need to be ashamed. Do this, and our lives will shine and expose empty ideas for what they are—vain and not worth pursuing. Nothing has changed, really, and this advice is still good for today.

The Need to Grow in Assurance

As our faith is strengthened, we do grow in knowledge, but more importantly, we grow in assurance of our standing in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. For people to have their faith overthrown suggests that they have not been truly born again, but were probably merely seeking something better than what they had previously known. Jews accepting Jesus as the Messiah do not suddenly become Christians; they have to process the theology that they have already understood, as their perceptions of the Savior arise from a different worldview. The Gentile is not looking for a Messiah and is not steeped in the knowledge of Moses, the Ten Commandments, ceremonial law, Jewish traditions, and their interpretations. For a Jew to become a Christian is somewhat like a Calvinist becoming a Pentecostal. The Calvinist adheres to the teachings of Calvin but does not accept exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit as being part of church worship. For someone to come along and make claims that the gifts are false is not really too difficult to do. Accusations are always easy to make. However, the transition from being a Calvinist who believes in being "saved by grace alone” to becoming a Pentecostal who believes in obtaining God’s blessing through faith in Jesus Christ—and having the assurance of this demonstrated via a manifestation of the gifts—requires a major change in mindset: a cultural transformation. A deeper work of God is required than merely being alerted to the fact that Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary and rose from the dead.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones is one such Calvinist who discovered the joy of salvation through the baptism of the Holy Spirit and then argued for the validity of the experience from Scripture. Sadly, for him, this revelation and experience came closer to the end of his life rather than being a formative part of his youth. Yet Calvinists today dismiss the joy of salvation that Lloyd-Jones discovered toward the end of his life (expressed in his book Joy Unspeakable and published posthumously) as the prattle of an old man suffering from dementia.

Entering His Rest

The Holy Spirit needs to lead us and guide us into all truth. However, if we deny the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will be denied access to our Father in Heaven. Instead of speaking about what God can do, we will be speaking about what terrible sinners we are and how our ways and thoughts are not the same as God’s. The only way this is rectified is if we decide to seek God and allow Him to change us. This is why we diligently need to do our best to enter God’s presence. In the book of Hebrews, we are instructed not so much to present ourselves as workers before God, but to enter His rest. For, as Jesus Himself said, He is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27–28), and our Heavenly Father is working still (John 5:17). For we read:

There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For he who has entered into His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:9-11)

Concerning Rejection Of Charismatic Renewal

When Dennis and Rita Bennett discovered back in 1960 that being a Christian was all about entering God’s rest, it set off a renewal within the Anglican/Episcopal churches that found its way into many other denominations that held to a Reformed worldview. Bear in mind that there is a difference between awakenings and renewals when compared to bringing souls to salvation as the fruit of righteousness. Many are opposed to the idea of resting in God and reject the Charismatic Renewal as the work of the Devil. However, discovering God’s rest is not something everyone does; apparently, comparatively few do. The following passage of Scripture provides us with some enlightenment about people who are opposed to anything that demonstrates the workings of God.  We read:

Now there were some present at the same time who told Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way. Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them; do you think that they were worse offenders than all the men who dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.”

He spoke this parable. “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none. He said to the vine dresser, ‘Behold, these three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and found none. Cut it down. Why does it waste the soil?’ He answered, ‘Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it, and fertilize it. If it bears fruit, fine; but if not, after that, you can cut it down.’”

He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent over, and could in no way straighten herself up. When Jesus saw her, He called her, and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” He laid His hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight, and glorified God.

The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!”

Therefore the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath, and lead him away to water? Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”

As He said these things, all His adversaries were disappointed, and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

He said, “What is God’s Kingdom like? To what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and put in his own garden. It grew, and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky live in its branches.”

Again He said, “To what shall I compare God’s Kingdom? It is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

He went on his way through cities and villages, teaching, and traveling on to Jerusalem. One said to him, “Lord, are they few who are saved?”

He said to them, “Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in, and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen up, and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside, and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ then He will answer and tell you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets, in God’s Kingdom, and yourselves being thrown outside. (Luke 13:1-28)

Repentance is Required for Salvation

These Jews were just like any religionist or person who is raised within a particular culture and possesses a worldview that upholds the status quo. They perform religious observances and claim religious tradition as part of their justification for their belief of having been chosen by God. This is what the Jews believed in Jesus’ day (and still do). They believed that they were the chosen race—just as many people who call themselves Christians believe they are chosen of God because of their religious tradition, or because they adhere to a doctrine that states they were chosen before the foundation of the world and were destined to be saved from eternal damnation. Why is this so? For no other reason than that they believe they are special to God, while others are not.

In the above passage from Luke, we see Jesus saying that a change of attitude is required for salvation, and comparing oneself to other unfortunates does not buy a get-out-of-jail card or a ticket to Heaven. By using a parable about a fig tree, Jesus informs His listeners that fruit is a requirement for those who are included in the plan of God; for God is alive and active and not to be found in the graves with dead men’s bones. Consequently, a woman is healed by the power of God, and the self-righteous become indignant that good should be done on the day of rest. So Jesus reminds them that they are hypocrites, more interested in congratulating themselves about their own achievements than in learning the truth. They possess knowledge of man-made theology and traditions but have no understanding of what it means to be truly spiritual. While the Kingdom of God is growing, hypocrites are missing out because they are more intent on dwelling upon people’s iniquities and proclaiming their unbelief in God healing illness today, rather than acknowledging their own ineptitude and personal need to dwell in the presence of God. For only those who strive to enter God’s rest by the narrow gate will find rest for their souls in the Kingdom of God. Those who reject the gospel message that God is the Lord of the universe who requires a personal relationship with His subjects will not be included in the Kingdom; instead, they will reap eternal punishment—all because they oppose the kindness and goodness of God in preference for wallowing in their own sin.

Everyone led by the Holy Spirit into the work of labor to bring souls to salvation and bear fruit for eternal life needs to trust Him to bring about the produce. This is a natural outcome of the supernatural workings of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. Nobody can bring forth fruit for the Kingdom of Heaven unless he or she has a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. There will be those who use tricks and many other ploys to deceive people into believing deceptive doctrines, so they can maintain a substantial lifestyle—or, in the case of hirelings, one that is comfortable. However, the key to knowing who are genuine and who are not is found in whether they desire to be servants or something else. Like darnel and wheat, the difference can often be too difficult to ascertain until the harvest is ready.

A Christian’s Deeds Can Be of Eternal Worth

The grace of God is such that even those who espouse erroneous teachings can be saved in their ignorance, because they believe in Jesus as their hope of salvation. Many Christians go into what they call “full-time ministry” and build with straw or hay or wood, rather than something that is enduring, like precious stones or silver or gold. These metals and precious stones are not biological substances that are able to reproduce, but metaphors used to represent the value of a person’s life to the Kingdom of God in terms of eternal worth. This is not suggesting that we can earn or buy our salvation—for this is impossible. Instead, those six dead and inert materials, used as metaphors, which have different values and uses, demonstrate that what we believe as Christians depends on whether we have the complete truth or not. This is why the Scripture says that God desires all men to be saved—which means to believe Jesus is the Son of God—and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). In saying that we possess the truth, we may understand some of the truth—just not all of the truth. We begin to possess the truth when we accept the death of Jesus on our behalf and the fact that He has risen from the dead. To possess the fullness of the truth requires us to have died completely to ourselves, so that it is no longer we ourselves who live, but Christ in us. This does not mean that we are nobodies without an identity; rather, that we have fully matured as children of God. Many view this as impossible because of what the Apostle Paul has written about not knowing the fullness of that to which we have been called until that which is perfect has come (1 Corinthians 13:10–12). However, the Apostle himself sought to attain to the resurrection of the dead, because he realized that with God all things are possible. Thus, we read the Apostle Paul expressing his desire:

…that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming conformed to His death; if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:10-12)

Taking The Log From Our Own Eye

As we grow in the truth of our salvation, the log that hinders us from expressing the light of the Spirit of God within begins to be removed. As the Holy Spirit circumcises our hearts, we develop a deeper understanding of what is required of us and how we can best help others by taking the speck out of their eyes. We are not seeking to build personal profiles of success; rather, we are seeking the salvation of the lost. This is how Jesus says we should think about matters:

Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?

Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God’s Kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?  Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye?  You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 6:25-7:5)

 

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.  Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?  Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye.  For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit.  For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say?  Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and does them, I will show you who he is like.  He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock.  But he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:40-49)

Without The Holy Spirit, We Can Do Nothing

In the context of the above passages, we can see how we need to trust God and allow Him to be Lord of our lives if we are to bear the fruit of righteousness. A person worthy of learning from is one who is submitted to God and knows how to take the speck out of another person’s eye, pointing that individual in the right direction for salvation or growth in the Holy Spirit.

Such an individual is not one who is indoctrinated and seeks to promote a structured teaching as the means by which we are to learn the truth. This is because truth must be lived and not merely taught at an academic level so that it can be regurgitated at a later date. It is one thing to read the Bible, but it is better to memorize the Scriptures. While it is good to memorize the Scriptures, it is another thing to meditate on them, and yet another to apply the truths contained therein to our own lives. In order for us to successfully understand the truth and apply it to our lives, we need the power of the Holy Spirit; for without Him, we can do nothing. As we read, Jesus says that our Heavenly Father knows our needs, and He is more than willing to see that they are met. However, when speaking about the good and evil treasure of the heart, it does appear as if we might have a split personality that knows good and evil. But if we build upon the foundation that is laid, of which we are told there is only one, we need to be careful about how we build. The Apostle Paul instructs us:

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foun-dation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble; each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward.  If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.

   Don’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives in you?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are.

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.” And again, “The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.” Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (1 Cor. 3:10-23)

Being A Fool For The Sake Of The Gospel 

The fruit of righteousness is only found in those who have been prepared to become fools for the sake of the gospel. For those in the world—and even many who believe—Jesus Christ is the only hope humankind has, because there is nobody else in history of whom it is testified that he or she has been raised from the dead, never to die again. Trusting in God to provide all our needs may seem foolish to those who do not seek to know Jesus. For the believer, the question is: how much do we want to trust in God? Do we desire to prove God in every aspect of our lives, or are we only prepared to acknowledge some of His ways and not others? One thing of which we can be assured is that the deceiver is not going to let us have easy access to the Source of our salvation. For those of us who do discover the reality of the resurrection, the evil one does not want us to grow in stature and mature as children of God. He will do everything he can to prevent this from happening.

If we find ourselves having to defend the teachings of men—because they are not in accord with what the Bible says—we may be guilty of being deceived. This is especially the case if we are making accusations against other believers who hold a different view of what God requires of us. Making wrong judgments and false accusations is contrary to the Spirit of Life in Christ. When Jesus says that the evil man brings out of his evil treasure that which is not good, this is like us producing the ill effects of our past and pointing the finger at others, rather than holding these issues and grievances before the Lord God to be lopped off as part of the circumcision of our old nature.

Many a person has started out with good intentions, only to find that their plans fold in a heap. Some people become Christians, and because they already have good people skills and know how to manage an organization, they are able to quickly gather together a congregation. As they continue to look to the Lord, unless they die to themselves, the work they started will reach its zenith and then the Devil will have access, because the evil treasure within each of the individuals will surface. This evil treasure comprises that which is treasured by those of the world, which a person is not prepared to forgo. This is why the treasure of the heart is called evil—because nobody would normally think of treasure as being evil. The person treasures certain elements of the world that are opposed to God. These elements are manifestations of the flesh that eventually destroy what God was doing, because the Devil is able to assert his hold once more.

In the event the Devil does not get his foot in the door—so that instead of the believer building with wood, hay, or stubble that can be burned—the believer is able to build with silver, gold, or precious stones and receives an eternal reward. Much depends on each individual, and on what areas of each one’s life he or she is prepared to trust God.

Fruit Is Natural

Fruit is a natural outcome. An actor will seek to portray a particular character, but this is not a natural outcome—it is a manufactured imitation. We cannot really “put on” Christ, even though imitating Jesus is better than imitating the Devil. Imitating Jesus does help make personal interactions easier, but this is not exactly what the fruit of righteousness is really about. The fruit of righteousness comes from allowing the word of God to take root in our lives and learning to live in the wisdom that is available to us through faith in Lord Jesus Christ.

This wisdom may seem like foolishness to those who have worldly achievements and possess the intellectual talent required for academic pursuits. However, the pride of life is often the reason why people fail to achieve a closer walk with God and do not bear the fruit of righteousness. As soon as any of us begin comparing ourselves with other people, we can be sure that we are not walking in the Lord. Whatever we do after that becomes a work of the flesh. Instead of bringing people to salvation, we will begin arguing the point or doing other things that hinder what God desires.

Bringing people to salvation is not the same as seeing people grow in salvation and then go on to produce the fruit of righteousness in their own lives. There is value in being widely read and researching the necessary information that we believe is beneficial, because this helps us understand what God requires of us. Naturally, learning skills for employment purposes has merit, but we need to be mindful of where this additional knowledge of the environment will lead us, and whether it will bring about the desired fulfillment. Irrespective of anything, as long as what we do originates from faith in Lord Jesus Christ, we can be assured of not falling away from the truth.

The Obstacle of Pride

Pride is the one thing that will prevent us from achieving the fullness of our potential and reaping the fruit of righteousness that could be ours instead of a lesser amount. If we are doing anything that seems futile, then it is to our benefit that we seek the Lord to find out what we should be doing. Sometimes we might need to do seemingly futile things to learn a lesson, and afterwards we see the glory of God at work in our lives. However, what applies to one person does not apply to all people.

Sadly, we see people desiring a measure of worldly accolades. They chase after success using methods that do not work for them.

At one church meeting I attended, one of the elders stood up and pulled out a five-year plan for the growth of the church. There were little boxes representing activities and departments all over the place, with expectations detailed and goals figured out. Now, this is not the way the Holy Spirit works. The Holy Spirit works by transforming individuals from within and drawing people together for fellowship as they glorify the Father when exalting the Son by bearing fruit. Moreover, this church’s idea of outreach was to have a pizza-and-movie night featuring a film containing soft pornography.

Even though God loves these people, and they have to work out their own salvation, the way they are going about it is contrary to the desires of our Lord and Savior as outlined in the Bible. Originally, this particular congregation was formed from a move of God, and its members seem to have gathered regularly ever since, with most of them now in the older age bracket and wondering why they are not attracting other members of their own families to the Lord—regardless of their efforts! Nevertheless, the plight of this congregation is not uncommon. The people think they possess a knowledge of Bible truth, but they lack the power to reproduce seed. Why? They have not allowed the Holy Spirit to work in their lives.

Instead, they have fallen for the trap of being educated to advance worldly careers, whereby they are required to regurgitate and process knowledge, ensnared in the belief that this is critical thinking. When it comes to the Bible, rather than the idea of having it bear witness to them as they walk in the footsteps of Jesus, the people of this congregation prefer to let everybody know they can objectively analyze it and explain the historical relevance and setting of each book. Sadly, this is what seminary (often called “cemetery”) training all too frequently does. Instead of true worship, people who were originally looking to Jesus mistake learning doctrines and regurgitating acceptable secular references to the Bible as spiritual growth.

Knowledge of historical facts and people’s ideas supplant knowledge of truth—including their need for an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father after having been baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Born Again

Life is to be lived. However, we are living a life that is dead unless we are born again by the Spirit of God and are being raised out of our dead works by allowing our Heavenly Father to be glorified in our lives. If we are chosen by Jesus, we will be appointed to bear fruit, and that fruit will remain. We can respond to the call and imitate the truth, but this will not glorify the Father in the same way as if we live the truth and allow the Holy Spirit to circumcise our flesh.

If our flesh has been circumcised, when the Devil comes to press our buttons, instead of a reaction from the person of the flesh, we will bring forth a blessing from the Spirit of God, as He is in control and we are trusting Him.

Jesus Spoke About Much Fruit

Jesus spoke of fruit that comes forth from good ground as being thirty, sixty, and one hundred fold. This is largely reflective of how much of our lives we are willing to surrender as good ground. Some of us will trust God more than others will. Consequently, the fruit we produce in our lives as Christians will vary. There is not anything we can do to change this fact other than allow ourselves to be transformed, because fruit is a natural expression of our Christian walk.

Mistakes Made

In respect to the previously mentioned congregation that had a film-and-pizza night and showed a movie that is typical of what is produced in Hollywood these days (essentially pornography), someone bore fruit many years ago when souls were brought to the Lord; but unfortunately, these souls did not go on to produce more fruit. Now the congregation is stagnant, and the elderly members are attempting to replicate what they think should happen. Evidently, about two hundred people came to a knowledge of Lord Jesus Christ in about five years, and the congregation has more or less remained for another fifty years, with the souls just getting old. 

In contrast to this, the Apostle Paul desired the fruit that increases to the credit of others (Philippians 4:17). This suggests a continuation of the seed that was sown being sown again. Indeed, through the ages, this is what has happened, and it appears that this is how God works. But to sow that seed, we need to be faithful in our walk with God. When people see that we are faithful, and we are growing in stature in the Lord, then our word has more credibility with those to whom we talk—especially in respect to our testimony of what God has done in our lives.

The DNA of Success

There are many reasons why people do what they do. Each one grows up in a different socio-psychological environment, even though they may be members of the same family or even twins—although with identical twins, the differences are not as evident unless raised in different environments. If a person has achieved a degree of success, then that success will mean that some people are able to be influenced, because the person will already have the confidence of certain people. When that person becomes a Christian, those people who trust that person will be the first whom he or she can influence.

If a person becomes a Christian and has no recognition anywhere, only by what he or she does to glorify Lord Jesus will people take notice. The fruit of righteousness will entirely depend on the person’s continued witness to Christ and the skills that are acquired from bringing people to salvation, when learning how to take the speck out of a person’s eye.

Revival: A Perspective from Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Many people long for revival. Exciting phenomena occur when the Holy Spirit is moving and people are being introduced to Lord Jesus Christ. Revival occurs in the unlikeliest of places at times. Revival can occur when people have the desire to win souls. Revival often occurs when people have an open heart for more of what God has on offer.

However, among those who believe everything has already been decided before the foundation of the world, it is unlikely a revival that brings souls into the Kingdom of God will occur. This is because among such people there is no concern for saving souls. There is no urgency. There is no need. According to this view, whoever is going to be saved has already been determined, and there is nothing that we can do which will have any effect to the contrary.

However, after discovering the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the proclaimed “preacher’s preacher,” Martyn Lloyd-Jones, rejected the Calvinist view and wrote:

“[We] can produce a number of converts, thank God for that, and that goes on regularly in evangelical churches every Sunday. But the need today is much too great for that. The need today is for an authentication of God, of the super-natural, of the spiritual, of the eternal, and this can only be answered by God graciously hearing our cry and shedding forth again His Spirit upon us and filling us as He kept filling the early church.”[ii] 

What Lloyd-Jones overlooks is that the fruit of righteousness is the outcome of lives devoted to glorifying the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, as they are committed to seeking Him on a daily basis. Merely seeking a revival is insufficient. Many pastors and earnest congregants seek revivals, but what is required is the fruit of righteousness, which is sown in peace by those who make peace. This is a natural outcome of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes these prayers will produce what are known as revivals; more often, the fruit of righteousness will be the winning of individual souls and seeing them encouraged and built up in the Lord Jesus Christ on an ongoing basis, as we become lights to the world and give others cause to thank our Heavenly Father for what He has done in our lives. Our testimony shines because we become lights shining in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome the light of the Lord Jesus Christ within.

Lloyd-Jones did not live to see some of the great works that have occurred in congregations that have sprung up since he came to realize the joy of salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit. God is still moving in people’s hearts. If every person who is a Christian were to discover what Martin Lloyd-Jones discovered late in his life, and each were to produce just one crop of the fruit of righteousness in their lives, the completion of the number of Gentiles to be saved before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ would be close to being accomplished, as if overnight.

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[i] King James Version printed 1611.

[ii] Ibid, 278