p. 203 | Bearing Fruit by E. R. Dewey

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 13, 1871

Bearing Fruit.

By E. R. Dewey

As I sat by my window, one day, looking out upon the various kinds of trees, which are now putting forth fresh leaves and buds, the following passage kept recurring to my mind, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.” Matt. 7: 16, 17.

We all admit this to be true in regard to the trees of the garden, and how surprised we should be if a tree one year should bear one kind of fruit and perhaps the next year a different kind, or one year produce excellent fruit, pleasant, both to the eye and taste, and the next year bitter, unpleasant fruit, not fit to be eaten. Should we care to cherish and cultivate such a tree?

But we are not thus disappointed in nature; and Christ was thus drawing a lesson from nature, to instruct his disciples. He also in another place likens himself to a vine of which they are the branches; and for what is the vine valuable but its fruit? The psalmist says the righteous “shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither.”

There are also many other passages which speak of their bringing forth fruit. As followers of Christ, then, what kind of fruit should this be? He says, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.” Paul, in Gal. 5: 22, 23, tells us that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.”

“Love of God and man, of the Saviour, his people, and all men for his sake, and according to his command and example,” is the love which will make us forget self, and strive to make those around us happy, by showing them that we have a tender regard for their welfare.

“A joyful frame of mind in the service of God, a peaceful conscience, and a submissive will, leading to a peaceable conduct toward men; a disposition to bear injuries and affronts, without seeking revenge or expressing resentment,” ah! how hard is this for the natural heart. How much grace we need to help us cultivate such a disposition.

Faith in God, so that in all our trials, we can feel that “he doeth all things well,” will help us to bear our afflictions; and it would help us to patience if we would remember that, though

“Over our hearts and into our lives, Shadows will sometimes fall; But the sunshine never is wholly dead, And Heaven is cloudless overhead, And God is over all.”

Meekness, or “a humble, teachable, unambitious temper and demeanor,”—watching against spiritual pride, and vainglory, not provoking or envying one another, and seeking to bring forth more abundantly those “fruits of righteousness which are through Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God,” is another fruit of the Spirit.

Temperance, moderation in regard to earthly objects, finishes the list. These and such like virtues are the fruits of the Spirit and what every professed child of God is expected to bring forth, and that not in small quantity, but much; for Christ said, “Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples.” We cannot of ourselves do this, but we have the promise of assistance. See John 15: 5. “He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing.”

Alas! how many there are that profess to love the Lord, who are like the fig tree, whereon was found “nothing but leaves,” which at Christ’s command withered away. It seems to have been left upon record as a warning to unfruitful professors.

“The leaves of profession may impose on men; but the Lord will shortly come and seek for fruit; and if to the last he finds none, the tree will fall under his curse of everlasting unfruitfulness.” Let us pray earnestly that we be not found among that number, but that we may so walk in faith with God that we may grow more and more “fruitful in every good word and work.”

E. R. DEWEY.

May 11, 1871.