Bearing Fruit by Josephine Mott

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 7, 1871

Bearing Fruit.

By Josephine Mott

“Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” How shall we bear fruit to the glory of God? By slothfulness, reluctance, or impatience, in doing what he has required of us? Not in this way can fruit be borne. The fruit of the Spirit which we are to bear, is, says the apostle, “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against which there is no law.” The first in the list is, Love. Love, self-renouncing love. None can bear fruit which will be acceptable to God, and conduce to his glory, without this grace. If he loves him not, he will not care whether he glorifies him or not.

Joy is the next grace; and it will as surely follow the former as the fruit follows the flower in the natural world. The pleasure of loving is great in itself; and it will reflect back joy unspeakable. As you continually seek for opportunities to prove your love, so will your joy be more full; and as you feel the approving eye of the Father upon you, your peace will become like a river, sweet and full, filling your whole being.

Longsuffering. If we be truly Christ’s disciples, we shall suffer long and patiently, never stopping to think or care how great our suffering, or how the world may use us. We can still, through all our fiery trials, cast all our care upon God, being assured that he careth for us, and will never suffer us to be moved. Remember how Paul endured great afflictions; how he was beaten and stoned, in prison, in peril by sea and land, more than we have ever been called upon to pass through; and all for the sake of Christ. Yet he counted them as nothing, in view of the prize which he was to win.

Gentleness. The true servant of the Lord must be gentle to all. No matter if others speak harshly to him, he must not treat them in the same way. Let him remember that a soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. Entreat with all longsuffering and gentleness, seeking to win souls to Christ. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Prov. 11 : 30.

Goodness and Faith. Without strong faith in the promises, one cannot be a disciple of the Saviour; firm, unwavering faith, that all that the Lord has said, he will perform, even every iota.

Meekness. He must be meek like the dear Saviour when he was here on earth among sinful men, not resenting injuries, suffering himself to be wronged, rather than do evil himself.

Temperance. How little do we imagine all that is contained in that one word. Not only temperate in food and drink, but in all things. It is as wrong to overwork as it is to overeat. I believe nearly all our sins are caused by intemperance in some form or other. Without temperance we cannot be true disciples of Jesus.

We have seen that the fruits which the righteous bear, are such as work nothing but good to God and man. Let us now see what are the fruits of the evil one, or the works of the flesh. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. Of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5 : 19–21.

Have any of us wholly escaped contamination in some of these things? No, not one of us dare say we are pure from sin. All come under condemnation. Remaineth there then no hope? John says, “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” And again, through Ezekiel (33:11), the Lord says, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”

Here he that has sinned, is exhorted to turn from his wickedness, and live. And again, in the same chapter, “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right [Heb. do judgment and justice], if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”

Thus we have a sure testimony, that if we forsake our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. If we endeavor to do his commandments, we shall have help. Paul said, that through Christ strengthening him, he could do all things. And the Saviour is just as ready to help his trusting ones now as he was then. If he gives us strength, all will be well.

But see what is the end of those who will not repent and seek salvation through the blood of Jesus: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Ps. 9 : 17. And again, “Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup.” May we indeed seek righteousness and meekness, that we may be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. If we are not covered by the hand of God in that day, we must drink of the cup of his indignation and wrath; for in his hand there is a cup, and the wine is red, it is full of mixture, and he poureth out the same; but the dregs thereof, the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them.

All our professions will avail us nothing then. The words of the Lord Jesus will be the test: “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” If we fail to stand the trial, we shall hear the dread sentence, Depart! Depart from life, love, and joy. Depart from the presence of the Father and his dear Son, of all the holy angels, from all the beauties of the new world. May we hear the “Well done,” from the lips of our Master.

JOSEPHINE MOTT.

Peoria Co., Ill.