Are we producing spiritual fruit that reflects our relationship with God?

[Chrysostom]

The vision you have brought before the Lord is indeed searching, for it places every soul before the temple as it were, to be examined by God Himself. Jeremiah saw two baskets of figs, one very good, like early ripened fruit, and the other very bad, so spoiled it could not be eaten. As you have well noted, this was not a judgment according to outward appearance. Those carried into exile seemed to have been forsaken, yet the Lord declared He would watch over them for good, to build them and plant them and give them a heart to know Him. Those who remained and hardened themselves in pride and disobedience were shown to be fruit that could not be used.

This teaches us what it means to bear fruit. Fruit does not come from our own strength. The Father purges and prunes, and the Son keeps us in Himself. To abide in the root is what makes the branches fruitful. A branch that remains on the root, even if it needs much purging, will still bear fruit, though perhaps not as much as it ought. But a branch that does not remain can bear nothing at all. So the question you ask, whether we are producing spiritual fruit that reflects our relationship with God, is answered by another question, whether we are abiding in Christ and welcoming His purging hand.

Scripture says the righteous are to walk worthily of the Lord, pleasing Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. This fruit is not merely outward activity, but the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Such virtues are not woven on earth from wealth or reputation, which are like garments that moths and worms consume, but are woven in heaven. They endure because they come from grace.

Grace is with us when we do not despise the gift, when we do not grow indolent toward it. Grace is remission of sins and cleansing, and it remains with us as we draw it to ourselves by good deeds and by a continual desire to please God. So long as a person lives in wickedness he cannot bear good fruit, but there is hope, for he may yet change and turn to virtue, and then he will bear fruit. A root of bitterness, however, that is wholly given over to bitterness, can never bear sweet fruit until that root is changed.

Therefore let us not make our flesh useless through luxury or neglect, which breeds corruption instead of fruit. Let us ask the Lord to reveal what is unfruitful in us, to purge what is diseased, and to cause us to abide more firmly in Christ, the true vine.

Let us pray together.

Heavenly Father, we thank You that You do not abandon Your people even in seasons of discipline and exile. You see the heart and You know who belongs to You. Forgive us for the times we have been unfruitful, for pride, selfishness, bitterness and sloth that have kept us from abiding in Your Son. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness through the blood of Christ, and grant us grace to remain in Him.

Prune in us what needs to be pruned, and nourish in us what pleases You. Fill us with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that we may walk worthily before You and bear fruit in every good work. Cause the fruit of Your Spirit to grow in us, that our lives may be like early ripe figs, sweet and useful for Your glory and for the good of others.

Teach us to trust You in hard seasons, believing that You can bring restoration out of trial for those who turn to You with a repentant heart. Make us good stewards of all You have given us, and let our lives be pleasing in Your sight. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who alone is our salvation and our vine, with whom and the Holy Spirit be glory forever. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Your thoughtful reflection on the two baskets in Jeremiah 24 goes straight to the heart of what God cares about. The picture is simple and searching. One basket of early ripe, good figs and one basket of figs so spoiled they could not be eaten, both set before the temple. It was God who was making the assessment, and the difference was not outward appearance but the condition of the heart toward Him. Those who humbled themselves under His hand, even in exile, were being preserved for restoration, while those who refused His correction, though they remained in the land, were moving toward judgment.

That question you asked is the right one to keep asking. Is my life bearing fruit that shows I am truly connected to Him. Jesus answered it so clearly when He said, I am the vine and you are the branches. A branch cannot produce anything on its own. Fruit comes only as it remains in the vine. Every branch that does not bear fruit is taken away, and every branch that does bear fruit is cleansed and pruned so it will bear more. That cleansing comes through His Word living in us. It is not a matter of trying harder in our own strength, but of abiding in Christ day by day, letting His life flow through us. When that happens, fruit is the natural result.

Scripture makes it plain that God left us here for this purpose, to bear fruit for His kingdom and to bring glory to the Father. He is not looking for leaves alone, for the show of religion without reality. He looked for figs on the tree that had leaves and found none, and that barrenness was a warning. In the same way, a good tree is known by good fruit and a corrupt tree by evil fruit. The proof of abiding is seen in character. Has walking with Christ made us more loving, more joyful, more peaceful, more patient, more kind, more faithful, more gentle, more self controlled. That is the fruit of the Spirit, and it is also fruit that remains. God is not after a momentary display or a flash of enthusiasm, but lasting fruit that continues and grows, fruit that reflects His nature and blesses others.

This is also why difficult seasons matter. The exiles must have felt forsaken, yet God was using that very hardship to soften their hearts and prepare them for renewal. He often teaches us obedience and dependence through suffering, and He prunes even fruitful branches so they will become more fruitful. If you are in a hard place now, ask Him to use His Word to search you, to reveal any pride or bitterness or selfishness, and to cleanse you. Confess what He shows you, and trust His grace to change you. The law can show us what is good, but it cannot make us righteous. Only abiding in Jesus can.

May the Lord help you to remain in Him and let His words remain in you. As you do, He will be glorified as you bear much fruit, and that fruit will be evidence of His life within you. Pray with me that He would make your life fruitful in love for Him and for others, for His glory.

Father, we ask You to help us bear good fruit for Your kingdom. Cleanse us through Your Word, prune what needs to be removed, and cause Your love to flow from our lives to the needy world around us. Make us branches that abide in Christ and bear fruit that remains, to Your glory. In Jesus name, amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf and we are glad that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer. Your reflection on Jeremiah 24:2 and the question of whether we are producing spiritual fruit that reflects our relationship with God has blessed us and we have been praying that the Lord would continue to search our hearts and yours as He assessed the two baskets of figs.

We have been praying in Jesus Name that we all would be found as the very good figs, ripe and pleasing to the Lord, bearing the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22 and abiding in the true vine as taught in John 15:5. We have asked God to cleanse us from all unrighteousness as promised in 1 John 1:9 and to help us walk in repentance and obedience so that our lives are known by good fruit as in Matthew 7:17. We have also prayed that even seasons of discipline or exile would become places of restoration and renewal by His grace.

If your request was answered and the Lord has shown you growth in bearing fruit or has revealed His work of bringing good from a difficult season, please post a praise report and let us all know so we may rejoice with you. If your request does not seem to have been answered and you are still seeking to cultivate that fruitfulness and to be made more like Christ, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer.

May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. We pray in Jesus Name that He will cause you to be like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in season as in Psalm 1:3, to His glory. Amen.