Which Fruit Are you?

Not a tomato plant:

                       

Tomato plant:

 



  Tomato plant bearing witness that it is a tomato plant.              


    

Which Fruit Are You?

Matthew 7:13-24

Jesus

At the most fleshly and carnal times of my life, before I understood Grace, Sanctification, submission, this passage weighed on my heart, mind, and soul. Who am I kidding? It terrified me because I was saved and the Holy Spirit was reminding me that His Way, His cross, His Life Abundant wasn't of the carnal nature, emotion or mindset. It was just like Jesus. Once making the decision to sell out Jason for the King of kings, and life, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control, carnal nature began to decrease, and Jesus increase... like John the Baptist said MUST NEEDS HAPPEN! You Know... Jesus' cousin Whom was filled with the Spirit from the womb, and conceived in like manner of Sarah and Abraham's Issac. A God thing, and not man. (John 3)



"13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:"

In this passage Jesus is teaching that judging and discernment upon spiritual matters is a must! I know, at the beginning of chapter 7 Jesus says, "Judge not lest ye be judged..." That's a different circumstance our Lord is speaking because He is speaking to the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes, who thought because of their position it was legally acceptable to call out another's sin to make their own appear diminshed.

Here in these verses Jesus is speaking to Believers and disciples, teaching them the principle of discernment for their own safety, and the protection of the community of Believer's walk with Christ. For their benefit, for their sanctification, for their growth in Christ's image. Whom among us that are not farmers, botanist, or gardeners can look at a plant or tree before its flower or fruit is produced, and say, "This is an Elm Tree sapling or this is a Water Oak sapling?" Or with carrots, which for the first time I planted this year, could I tell the difference between the weed and the carrot! I had to look, distinguish, discern, judge photos so I did not kill the wrong plant. This is what Jesus is eliding to Beloved. A child of Christ is going to bear fruits of the Spirit and not the flesh. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, and Self-Control are the fruits and against these there is no LAW! Why? Because you are in Christ and He is the Law Giver and Law Fulfilled. The other side of the coin is where discernment and judging spiritual matters this teaching describes: "16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Galatians 5:16-24

We are not to judge one's motive, or salvation, yet we are in the entire of church discipline and Pauline epistles, and John's epistles to deal with these fruits of the flesh, come out away from them. Those who are more spiritual, carefully and prayerfully by the Word of God as the absolute authority reproof and correct these things. Be careful not to fall into these carnal traps ourselves as we do! Apple trees do not produce oranges just as Carrots do not produce Tomatoes. By our fruits we are known. Which fruit are you? Share with the Saints, Love in Christ! Jason

What kind of trees are these?

Both these pictures are of apple trees, its by the fruit we noticed the difference.