Fruit Is The Evidence

Romans 6:21
What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed?
For the end of these things is death.

Life is all about the "fruit".
Life is all about the deeds that we do...
The behaviors we carry.....
The words we speak.
Why?
Because all of these paint a picture of the real us.
Deeds, behaviors and speech all are evidence of what we truly believe.
Oh we can con and manipulate and even try to appear to be on the up and up..
But we can't sustain such false behavior. There I said it....false behavior. Why is it false? Because the heart is filled with darkness that only comes up in the manipulation and con. Here again the behavior gives credence to the belief's of the individual.

When Paul speaks of 'What fruit did you have?" He is trying to get us to look at the whole of our lives. The complete picture. You see, I don't ever want to forget what life was like before I was saved. I don't want to forget what a stinker I was before I really met this Jesus. I want to remember the pain and fear. I want to remember the failure and utter hopelessness that accompanies a life that is lived separate from Jesus. You need to hear me as I say this.....I don't want to live in the past, but I don't want to forget about it either. I want to continually be thankful for the grace and mercy that was shown to me by Jesus. I want to live with an attitude of gratitude for where Jesus has taken me. Is life perfect? No. Do I have problems and trials? You bet. But in the midst of life, I am filled with God's Holy Spirit and He comforts me and will take me through whatever rears its ugly head today. That is a promise. Not just any promise, but one that was spoken to us by the God.

I have cast aside, through the work and power of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the flesh. Always remember, if you give up something for God, then He will replace it with something better. Out goes the fruit of my old sinful nature and in comes the fruit of His Holy Spirit. He produces it in me! It's not an instantaneous work either. Fruit takes time. But each day that passes, I view life differently. I'm not longer driven by those old voices that whispered to me, trying to draw my heart and mind deeper into the darkness of sin. The voice I follow is found inside me....the voice of God speaks to me. I hear it when I read His word. I hear it when I talk with Him. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere and fills my mind and heart. He is all around me and I can wholly trust in Him and what He says. 

That is the message for today if you are struggling with the old fruit of sin in your life. You don't have to. All you have to do is cry out to God for His presence and salvation. Think about that. Help is just a "Cry" away. A new life for you is just a "Cry" away. God is that close and His desire is to clean you inside and out....fill you with His Holy Spirit and set you on a new way of living that will take you through any problem or situation you may face. How can I be so sure? Don't tell anyone, but I read the end of the book.........
We win!
God wins!

God on you...
mb