Root & Fruit

Root & Fruit

We have come to the final part of our study on the “Fruit of the Holy Spirit.” Over the past weeks, we have explored the nine aspects of this fruit:
Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
How can we be a fruit-bearing tree for the Lord?
In the Garden of Eden, there were two unique trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Eating from the Tree of Life would have made man live forever, while eating from the other—which God had clearly forbidden—opened their eyes but separated them from God, the very source of life. Out of love, God blocked access to the Tree of Life, because if sinful man had gained eternal life, there would have been no hope for redemption.
God drove man out of the garden so that the promise He made in Genesis 3:15 could be fulfilled through Jesus—the Son of God—who became man to save us.
God expects us to be fruitful, as we read in:
Romans 7:4 “So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”
God sees us as trees expected to bear fruit.
Matthew 7:17–18 “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”
Fruit cannot be manufactured; it must be cultivated. The quality of the fruit reflects the condition of the tree.
We don’t become fruitful by trying harder but by going deeper—being rooted in Christ and filled with the Spirit.
John 15:1–2 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
The sole purpose of growing a tree is to bear fruit.
Genesis 1:11 “Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’ And it was so.”
What Does Jesus Mean by Bearing Fruit?

1. Character – The fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22–23 must become part of who we are.
   
   
2. Conduct – Colossians 1:10  “…so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”
   
   
3. Conversation – Hebrews 13:15  “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.”
   
   
4. Conversion of Souls – John 15:16  “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”
   This is God’s appointment letter to each one of us.

Fruit is not just about what we do but who we become. It is the visible evidence that Christ is alive and active in us.
For a tree to bear fruit, it must be rooted. Likewise, for us to be fruitful, we must examine our root system.
Psalm 1:1–3 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”
We must be rooted in Christ, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit, just as a tree needs good soil, water, fertilizer, and sunlight to thrive and bear fruit.
Jesus told this parable in Luke 13:6–9: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but found none. So he said to the one who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’
From this parable, we understand that God gives us time to become fruitful. The fig tree represents Israel. Despite Jesus ministering to them for three years, they did not accept Him or bear fruit. But Jesus intercedes, asking for more time. He still intercedes for us today.
In Mark 11:13–14, Jesus saw a fig tree full of leaves but with no fruit. He cursed it: “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” 
Later, they found the tree withered from the roots (v.20).
God designed the fig tree to bear fruit and leaves together. The tree in this story was deceptive—appearing alive and fruitful on the outside, but empty within.
It represents religious life without real transformation—a life that looks spiritual but bears no character (fruit).
Let this not be true of us.
John 15:8 “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Let us stay rooted in Christ, grow in Him daily, and be fruitful in character, conduct, conversation, and conversion—for the glory of God!