Matthew 7:18 & 20 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Fruit trees fail to bear good fruits mainly because of failure to form flowers, frost damage, infestation/insect damage or lack of fertilizers. Fruit trees are rated not by the colour of the fruit but by its taste. Similarly, our actions are a reflection of our heart. As the root determines the taste of the fruit, our accomplishments are driven by our intentions.
The Bible gives us a list of “bad boys” who eventually produced good fruits. Their encounters and culpability to changes turned the bad, dreadful and detestable actions to juicy, tasty and luscious fruits(actions). Saul the murderer became Paul the martyr after his encounter with Christ Jesus. He was a deleteriously dangerous proud Pharisee who was bent on annihilating the followers of Jesus. Saul, who came from an affluent aristocratic family is introduced to us as the leader of the Sanhedrin who approved the dramatic stoning of Stephen, the first martyr of the early church. Saul violently persecuted and ravaged the early church. Saul began to destroy the church (Acts 8:3); But the compassion of Jesus transformed the bitter-bad-boy Saul into Paul, a benevolent-buoyant-believer bearing good fruits for the advancement of God’s kingdom.
Three essentials to turn badness & bitterness into goodness:
1. Flowers:.During the juvenile stage of growth, the plants are physiologically immature, inconspicuous and incapable of producing flowers or fruits. Saul’s aggression, brutality and cruelty was because of his immature perspicacity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul was a highly educated multilingual Pharisee yet his actions and reactions were bitter, bad and brash because of his immaturity. If our reactions are still brazen, blunt and blatant then, we are still immature and amature. Paul marinated in the presence of the Lord for 3 years in Arabia, after his conversion before he returned back to preach (Galatians 1:17-18). Read, reflect and rest in God’s presence to mature.
2. Frost: Cold weather and frost can crack and damage the foliage and expose the flowers to insect infestation. Low winter temperatures may even kill the flowers. Coldness of heart and a closed heart will not be able to blossom or produce good fruits. Turning a cold shoulder to correction will only make us fruitless, useless and worthless. Paul warmly welcomed the correction that came through a freaky accident on the road to Damascus that made him produce good fruit for the rest of his life.
3. Fertilisers: Potassium increases the sugar levels in fruit to make it flavoursome, sweet and juicy. Potassium is a good conductor of heat and electricity and is associated with the movement of water, nutrients and carbohydrates in plant tissue. Similarly, the revelations from the Word of God(the Bible) is converted to nourishing sap and spiritual strength by the fire of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the transformer of the nutrients into nourishment to the soul.
There is no sin that the blood of Jesus cannot wash and set us free from. The bloody life of Paul was transformed by the bleeding wounds of Christ. The humility and teachability of Paul under the fertilising conductor of the Holy Spirit made the murderer into a martyr. God is not surprised with our silly mistakes. Surrender will set us free.
Colossians 1:10 walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, set me free from guilt, condemnation and gullibility. If you can turn a murderer into a martyr there is hope for me too. Amen
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