Is Our Fruit Really "Good"?

Have you ever seen these pretty berry bearing plants in the fall?  The red color of the fruit produced by the bush honeysuckle is deceptive in that this is an invasive species whose seeds are dispersed throughout the landscape by the birds that eat their fall fruit.

Although the birds gain some nutritive value from these berries, compared to other wild fruits, these are likened to eating potato chips.

Honeysuckle may appear beautiful and fragrant in the spring as it spreads out its branches, rapidly invading the understory of a woodlot.  However, this species has a longer growing season than trees and so is able to crowd out young saplings who aspire one day to reach the canopy.

As honeysuckle seeds are planted throughout the landscape, they grow rapidly, soon forming an inpenetrable thicket, that serves as  a blockade to developing trees.  This non-native invasive bush competes with developing native tree species eventually preventing our native forest species from growing and replacing the older trees.

This invasion has the potential to greatly diminish migrating bird populations that rely on native tree species for food and shelter.

Much like the invasive nature of the bush honeysuckle, our own works, that seem to produce fruit, can crowd out the excellency of Christ's stature in our lives.

Too often, Christians gauge their productivity by the fruit they are producing with little regard to fruit inspection.  Like the honey suckle, our lives can be fruit producing machines but if the fruit that is produced only "looks good" with not much nutritional value than we ourselves are deceived and our labor is in vain.

Many of us value the appearance of being productive when in actuality the fruit that is being produced is from our own image and not Christ's

Romans 7:5

For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.

Much like our dead works toward fulfilling the law without Christ's righteousness, any an all fruit that is produced devoid of the inward working of the Spirit will be bearing fruit that leads to death.

We can "do" a whole bunch of "good" things, appearing to be heavy laden with fruit but how was that fruit conceived?  From a vine other than Christ?  If that is the case then our work is in vain and the fruit that we produce in the flesh will bear fruit, that when planted, like the honeysuckle, will be life choking.

Walking out a life that "looks" good to you and to others does not necessarily mean that you are bearing the fruit of righteousness.  

Isaiah 64:6  clearly states that our righteousness is as a filthy rags.

We are all infected and impure with sin. 

When we display our righteous deeds, 

they are nothing but filthy rags. 

Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, 

and our sins sweep us away like the wind. 

NLT

Let us boast not in our "good" deeds that appear as if they are fruit bearing but on the contrary, let us cast our goodness out with the trash so that it will not be planted alongside the good seeds of righteousness, potentially blocking other's from growing into the headship and glory of Christ Jesus.

Galatians 6:14

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died.

Lord, we repent of our "good" works today and lean into the breast of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, for it is He that gives us right standing before a Holy God not our own work and good deeds.  Help us Father to not fall into the trap of viewing our good works as proof of our righteousness before You.  Let our lives produce the fruit of righteousness alone and as we are scattered abroad may many saplings of righteousness spring up all around, creating a diverse heavenly forest for Your glory where to song birds of heaven sing from the heights of Christ's glory!