Bearing Fruit - Part 1

What does it mean to bear fruit?  

In what way do we bear fruit?  What does it really mean?  These are the questions presented to me for an answer recently.  At first, I thought it was simple to answer them but, after looking more deeply I now understand that they are not easily answered at all.  These questions beg to know what God is calling fruit not what man calls fruit.

Perhaps one could look at bearing fruit as ‘being productive”.  Our lives are often measured by such things as bearing fruit of certain kinds.  Many measure their “productivity” in terms of money, power, influence, position or possessions.   We have a tendency to make the yardstick longer and longer in these areas; seemingly, we never really satisfy the metric.   These are not the fruits that are the subject of the question. 

God calls the fig tree to bear fruit by searching for the fruit (Mark 11:12-13).  God finds no fruit on this tree and it is cursed.  The tree is found withered later in the text (Mark 11:20).  God goes on to tell Peter to have faith and with it he can move mountains.  Is this what God is asking of us in bearing fruit – to have faith that will move mountains?  

Paul tells us in his letter to the church in Galatia: 

“For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another.  For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”  However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.  But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry,   sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things.  I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another.” _{Gal 5:13-25}.

Luther tells us in the Large Catechism:

“Behold, thus we might train our youth, in a childlike way and playfully in the fear and honor of God,

so that the First and Second Commandments might be well observed and in constant practise, Then some good might take root, spring up and bear fruit, and men grow up whom 76] an entire land might relish and enjoy. Moreover, this would be the true way to bring up children well as long as they can become trained with kindness and delight. For what must be enforced with rods and blows only will not develop into a good breed, and at best they will remain godly under such treatment no longer than while the rod is upon their back.

77] But this [manner of training] so spreads its roots in the heart that they fear God more than rods and clubs.  This I say with such simplicity for the sake of the young, that it may penetrate their minds.  For since we are preaching to children, we must also prattle with them.  Thus we have prevented the abuse and have taught the right use of the divine name, which should consist not only in words, but also in

practise and life, so that we may know that God is well pleased with this, and will as richly reward it as

He will terribly punish the abuse.” _{Second Commandment}

The reference here to bear fruit is the only use of this term in the entire Large Catechism.  And so, it would seem, we must not take the Lord’s name in vain in order that the proper orientation to allow good things to be planted in us and thus bear fruit through us can occur.  In this point we find a fundamental orientation – humility before God.  In so finding this orientation we have found the point of departure for bearing fruit.

How do we arrive at humility before God?

Some of us will say, in response to this question that it is implicit to be humble before the creator of the universe and actually it is an impertinent question.   Some will say they are always humble before God simply because he is God and creator of the universe.  Others will say that God the Almighty is not in need of our humility. 

God says “May he show the humble what is right!  May he teach the humble his way! ” _{Psalm 25:9} 

God says “(Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than any man on the face of the earth.)” _{Num 12:3}

God says “Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.”_{Matt 18:4}

It is very obvious that God is very interested in our humility.  Giving that some thought, one could arrive at the following set of ideas among many:

1. God speaks through His Most Holy Word.  In this Word we hear what has happened to us.
2. Our hearts hear His Word and we are convicted by His Law in the sins of our lives and our rebellion against God and against any entity or force that would withhold the fruits of our evil deeds which satisfy all manner of our lust, greed, covetousness and other acts coming from the imprisonment of the flesh to sin.
3. We humble ourselves and confess our sins recognizing what we have become and how very different we are from God.  God is forgiving of them and we receive the Holy Spirit who bears with us in all things, teaches us all things and sanctifies us.  We hear the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ through His work on the cross.  
4. We repent of our sins and that which has been done in us through the Holy Spirit begins God’s work using us.  We are cleansed of our unrighteousness in the blood of Christ.
5. Because God is working in us through His Holy Spirit, we bear fruit according to the faith we have received and the sanctification we are experiencing.  God’s word has not come back empty.  The good work He has begun in us will achieve its produce.  We literally cannot help ourselves as we joyfully fulfill the purpose for which we have been created --- to glorify God.
6. The fruit of this indwelling of the Holy Spirit is that which was mentioned earlier from Galatians -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Through these attributes growing in us, being exercised through His strength in us, we come to know Him so much more intimately and receive life fully as was meant to happen in our creation.

In the second letter of Peter it is also said:  

“For this reason make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love.  For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately”. _{2Pet 1:3-8}

This is not to say that the above set of circumstances is the best or the only way to express what has happened to us.  It is simply my way of trying to explain some part of what it means to bear fruit.  

We are overflowing with the Holy Spirit which fills us each day and enables us to move our ego out of the way so that God’s light can shine through us to everyone with whom we come in contact.  We are bearing the fruit of righteousness through Christ for He tells us: 

“I am the vine; you are the branches.  The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.” _{John 15:5}

Regarding our love for one another

If the Tea Party attitude is reflected in the business of the Synod it is because those attitudes are shared by many people who are members of our Synod.  Those who felt disenfranchised in the Synod were dancing when Pastor Harrison was elected just as I am sure those who associated with the Tea Party mantras also danced after the elections.  If you see this in our Synod I believe it would be simply the sense of re-enfranchisement for those who have felt driven away and mocked for their beliefs. 

Further, it would seem to me that one man, Pastor Harrison, cannot all of LCMS remake.  Each person in the Synod is a member of the Body of Christ.  As such, each has his/her gifts as given from above.  Because of this we all bring these gifts and practice them in service to and to the glory of Him.  There is no more greater glory to God than to love each other and, in so doing, love Him. 

I must ask, has either pole in our divided church drawn near to the other in love?  Likewise, in our divided Nation has either pole drawn near to the other in love?  So, I would suggest that perhaps, if the answer to these questions is "no", then the Body must first draw near to Christ and then the Holy Spirit, in drawing near to us all, will work His peace among us. 

The church, for as long as is recorded in our biblical history, has been divided.  The divisions seen now are not new ones nor is the fact of division new within the Body.  Hopefully, unlike the fact of secular views which cherish the world, exalts itself and claims power so to be victorious in and of itself, we are different.  Hannah's statement is rife with political jargon and encourages division into political power bases.

We who are so angry and suffering with righteous indignation over secular matters that insult our religious views, are instead angry and righteously indignant against heresy, against division, against the slow cooking of the frog through the gradual raising of the heretical heat in our church and in our world as secular humanists and progressives advance their Godless agenda. 

So we argue and contend with one another over matters precious to us.  Some argue regarding doctrine and others just simply against anything that changes their familiar surroundings.  The majority of all Americans claim to be Christian.  That same majority appears to apply their beliefs differently.  So much for polls.

The experience that has occurred in our church with regard to division and cold behavior toward one another is comprised, I believe, of earnest disagreements between factions in the church, not-so-genuine power grabbing by many whose interest is very questionable, and those who are completely uninformed and able to be pushed in either direction depending on their overall disposition.  God bless the leader of our Synod and may he receive a double portion of Grace to deal with our strife. 

The only normative point for us all is the Holy Scripture which we know is the greatest treasure of our church.  Whether you think you are in power or empowered, I have to continually remind myself that the only power worth having is that which is given through the will of God as He has told us when He says we can do nothing without Him.  I want to see our church serving Him and not be continually diverted to arguing with each other.  Whatever must be done to assure this would be the best approach as long as it is within and according to Holy Scripture and  the Confession. 

Pastor Harrison is not guilty of pressing his agenda.  He has not twisted arms just as you have stated.  He is guilty of standing up earnestly for the Gospel and, as you have pointed out, by that fact stands up for our Confession.  We must stand in the same manner and on the same foundation reaching out with consolation, love and genuine interest in healing our division but must also not sacrifice truth in the process.  This is the same in the secular environment -- we must stand up for our foundational values built upon Christ, witness unashamedly regarding that foundation to our fellow citizens and, through our way of life, our actions, our words engage the world with that same love from Christ.  Yes, this does require strife, pain, and suffering because we are contending in the gate for our God. 

Likewise, the agenda of the Jesus First movement and those who align with it (e.g. Kieschnick) would more show the manipulation of our church to SEIZE power and thus to dominate the church with those ideas which are not from our confession.  Nothing more illustrates this than the results of the Blue Ribbon Task Force.  This is also reflective in the manner that the political agenda in Washington has ignored the will of the people and created its own agenda and through it the grab of ultimate and total domination of its people.  So we have the Tea Party mentality against the Fascist mentality reflected back into the hearts and actions of our church because that is the true reality of our battle.  Nothing is likely to change until the hearts of us all look to Christ.