City Life Starter

Written by Efe Abbe

The Word

⁴³ “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, ⁴⁴ for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵ The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Luke 6:43-45 ESV

²⁷ So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.

²⁸ And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply…

Genesis 1:27-28a ESV

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

Galatians 5:19-23 ESV

Reflection

In the beginning, after God makes humanity in His image, His first word of blessing to us is to be fruitful (Genesis 1:28). We know that one way God intended for us to be fruitful was to make more of ourselves but this isn’t the only way God expects us to be fruitful (John 15:7-9). Jesus taught that just like trees, humans bearing fruit is a given, however the kind of fruit we produce shows the spiritual condition of our hearts.

So what does human fruit look like?

The Apostle Paul contrasts two heart conditions and their resulting fruit in his letter to the Galatian church.

First, he lists the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). This is the “fruit” that comes when we reject God’s sovereignty to define good and evil; when our hearts are separated from Goodness personified in God. The list is pretty awful but the worst part is, anyone in this condition will not inherit God’s kingdom. The problem with this list isn’t just about doing or speaking evil, according to Jesus, it’s an issue of the heart.

The second kind of fruit Paul lists is the fruit the Spirit i.e. the overflow from a heart redeemed and transformed by Jesus. This fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Just as trees don’t strive to bear fruit, who we are on the inside simply overflows into our ways of being and our words (Luke 6:45).

Application

So how do we get good hearts?

This is the point of the Bible. Humans rejected God causing us to be separated from Him; consequently our hearts have become evil causing us to act in ways that break God’s heart. God in His mercy sent His Son, Jesus, to take our place to receive the just judgment we deserve by dying on the cross. But Jesus didn’t stay dead! He rose from the dead and He rules with that same power to save, restore, and give good hearts to all who trust Him — this is the gospel.

And if you already trust Jesus, submit to His Spirit that is already at work in you, and keep becoming daily what He’s already made you to be: a good fruit bearer.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for mercifully coming to us in Jesus to do what we could never do for ourselves — replace our evil hearts. Thank You for your forgiveness and grace; please help me to always trust and submit to Your Spirit, as You make me more like Jesus, amen.