Baptized into Christ many years ago, and yet are STILL not producing fruit

 

    While we greatly emphasize God the Father and God the Son, it seems that the Holy Spirit, as God, is being neglected, especially as He pertains to the individual Christian life. The resulting "effect" of this "cause" is a scarcity of the fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).  A scarcity of these characteristics, and it becomes little wonder that in many places Christianity means nothing more than getting a few good people together to hold a church service.

            Sometimes I think we get too "intellectual" about some of the clear and positive teachings of the Scriptures. For example, we take the subject of the Holy Spirit, we put it under a microscope, we analyze it, we debate it, we run it through every possible hypothetical situation, and think we have to answer every theological question before we can accept it!  If we cannot fully understand "how" God gives us the Spirit at baptism (Acts 2:38), or "how" the Spirit strengthens us in our inner man (Ephesians 3:16), then we think we are justified in shying away from the subject all together just in case we may "get it wrong."  In principle, it reminds me of the sin of the "one talent man" (Matthew 25:14-30), who, because of fear of doing something wrong, did nothing! The Master therefore, declared him to be an "unprofitable servant" and had him cast into "outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth" (vs 30).

            Without the Spirit, it is impossible to bear the "fruit of the Spirit." Granted, a new Christian may take some time to grow and mature to produce the fruit (2Corinthians 3:18, ESV – Note the present tense, are being transformed; and 1Corinthians 3:1-4, where Paul called the Corinthians "Brethren," yet "carnal babes in Christ" NKJV).

            How many of us know people who were baptized into Christ many years ago, and yet are STILL not producing fruit? Jesus told a parable in Luke 13:6-9 about a fig tree that had been nourished for three years but still produced no fruit. The owner ordered it cut down. However, the keeper of the vineyard pleaded, and the owner gave him one more year to produce fruit. If, after the year was complete and still no fruit was produced, then the keeper would cut it down. How many years has the Spirit been in your life? Does your life produce the fruit of the Spirit?

            Too often I've heard that having the Holy Spirit is of no advantage in this life, and is basically a "silent partner" in our salvation. When one believes that, it's no wonder Christianity has so little appeal to those we come into contact with everyday. The Holy Spirit will not forcefully produce fruit in your life. He comes to us in accordance with the Word, just like the Father and the Son comes to us only in accordance with obedience to the Word (John 14:23).

            Jesus told the disciples, "I am going away to the Father…and coming back to you" (John 14:28). Now, take some time to think about this: once Jesus returned to the Father in Heaven, He did NOT return in the flesh as the disciples would have thought,  however, the Holy Spirit DID return. Along with this, Jesus told the disciples once He returned to the Father, He would send them "another Helper" (John 14:16), (allon Helper, another of the same kind). What Jesus was to His disciples in the flesh, the Holy Spirit would be to His disciples in their spirit. On one occasion, Jesus said, "I and My Father are One" (Jn 10:30). Here, He is saying, "I and the Spirit are One." God and the Spirit are used interchangeably in Scripture, e.g. Acts 5:3-4.

            We all love Jesus and wish He could be here in the flesh right beside us to help and strengthen us. We don't have Him beside us, but we can have Him IN us. "The words I speak to you, they are spirit… (John 6:63). Don't you find that encouraging, exciting, and compelling, knowing that you can face this cold, mean, and unforgiving world with the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you?! No wonder Paul says, "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).

                                                                                                              Toby Miller