The Fruit of Life
Usually when we talk about the fruit we will bear as Christians, my mind goes straight to the fruits of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians. While we will get to those, today we’re looking at Paul’s fruit references in Romans 6.
The Fruit of Death
Sin makes us feel like we are free—free to choose what we want, whenever we want. But in reality, the only thing we’re free from is righteousness. Sin itself is a cruel master that entices and enslaves us and leads to death.1
Paul says,
“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.”2
The Fruit of Life
Instead, through the transforming work of Christ within us, we can experience true freedom because we have been set free from sin.3 We are no longer bound to sin and can instead become “slaves of righteousness.”4 Simply meaning that we can give ourselves wholly and completely to God.
We now “belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.”5 God’s free gift through Jesus Christ gives us the ability to live in righteousness, and when we live according to that freedom of righteousness, the new fruit produced no longer leads to death, but instead leads to sanctification and eternal life.6
Preparing Our Hearts
As we prepare to examine the fruits of the Holy Spirit over the next number of days, we can be mindful today of the type of fruit our lives produce—fruit of righteousness for God, or fruit of sin for death.
A note about the art:
I couldn’t do a wreath today without a little bit of fruit peeping out! These little strawberries can remind us of the fruit of life that should be evident in our lives as we accept the free gift of God and live in righteousness.