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Fruit for God

"So that you may belong to Another, Who resurrected from the dead, to bring fruit for God" (Romans 7:4b).

One day I was meditating on the Word of God and asked myself: "Why has the Lord given us this knowledge in His Word but has not allowed the doors to be opened?". At that very moment the Lord caused me to look at an orange tree in the garden of my neighbor. A few months ago it was fully loaded with oranges. But today it had no fruit on it.

Nobody lives next door. None had taken its fruit. All the oranges had fallen down to the ground and rotted away. Then the Lord asked me: "Where are the fruits of the orange tree?" "On the ground" I responded. Then the Lord said to me: "That orange tree is sad because men did not come to pick up its fruit". I did not know what to answer. Then He said to me: "No. Do you know why? Because He lives and gives fruit for me". At that moment I became very ashamed before Him.

The Lord taught me several precious things through that orange tree. The first of these is that we die with Christ, not to work for Him, nor to be acknowledged by men, but to live and give fruit for Him. "So likewise you, my brethren, you have died to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you would belong to Another, to the One that rose from the dead, to bring fruit to God" (Romans 7:4, 2 Corinthians 5:15).

The second is that there are proper seasons for fruit bearing. Even during the winter time, when there is no fruit, we are living for God. We are in the place and in the way the Lord desired to put us. During the winter, we are being dealt with by God through the weather. Although there is no fruit and the leaves fall, we are being sustained and strengthened by Christ for the time of fruit bearing. "I am the true Vine and my Father is the farmer. Every branch that in Me does not bear fruit, He cuts off; and all those that do bear fruit, He prunes, so that they will bear more fruit. In this my Father is glorified, that you will bear much fruit, and thus you will be my disciples" (John 15:1-2,8).

If we look at how little fruit we have, and how it is squandered by men, we will become sad. But it is not for this that we die and live again; not for the men to live and bear fruit, but for God. "Because none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. Because if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, wether we live or die, we belong to the Lord" (Romans 14:7-8).

The fruit is not ours, it belongs to the Vine. It is of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23a). "My handiwork, to glorify me" (Isaiah 60:21). He is the One who planted, He is the One that waters, and He is the One that gives the growth. He is the One that prunes and takes care of the plant, and He is the One that comes to gather the fruit for His own glory (1 Peter 5:10-11). "Because of Him, and by Him, and for Him, are all things. To Him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Romans 11:36).

(E.B., Brazil / Translator: Fred Malir, USA).

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