The Rebuild: Matthew 5-7Näide

Have you ever bought a big punnet of strawberries, took them home, opened them up only to discover that apart from a few nicer strawberries at the top of the punnet, the rest seem to be completely rotten? There is no disguising the fact that you have just paid $3.90 for a punnet of bad fruit! Jesus tells us bad fruit is exactly what we are to beware of.

A false prophet is someone who claims to speak on behalf of God. However, instead of speaking truth, they speak lies. Jesus’ advice on the best way to identify false prophets is to look at the fruit they are producing. Just as a healthy tree produces good fruit, a bad tree produces bad fruit. False prophets bear bad fruit.

However, I can’t help but feel a challenge in these verses—what fruit am I bearing?

When someone thinks of my character, as someone who is a disciple of God, do they see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Which fruits of the Spirit do you recognisably bear? Which fruits do you find yourself lacking in? Perhaps there is one that stands out to you personally. Bring it to God in prayer asking for the transformative help of the Holy Spirit!

Today, ponder this: God can change our hearts and minds. We can ask Him in prayer to change us and help us to grow in the fruit of the Spirit. For the fruit in which you are lacking, take time now to pray that he transforms and sanctifies you in that area.