Proper Fruit

Propensity - Prone - Tendency - Inclination - Proclivity - Susceptibility - Predisposition - Partiality - Predilection: these are all just fancy words for most likely gonna … eat that chocolate, take that nap, see that movie, read that book, take that trip.   Slice it, dice it, paint it, spin it any which way you can – we all have a particular bend toward things.

God knows how we all get out-of-order spiritually and He calls us to periodic checkups.  Of course, we all know what an out-of-order sign means – whatever it is, it isn’t working properly. Jonathan Edwards, who lived in the 1700’s, wrote: “Whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order or I am aware of the least irregularity without, I will subject myself to the strictest examination.”  Spiritual checkups are not casual or half-hearted!  Paul wrote, “Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?” (2 Corinthians 13:5, Amplified Bible)  Bad fruit is always obvious, no spiritual out-of-order sign necessary – apathy, grumbling, complaining, ill-temper, gossip, slander, rebellion, etc.  Properly “holding” to the faith is paramount to producing the proper fruits Paul refers to and God so desires.  Be in God’s Word to keep yourself in-check and in-order for proper in-season fruit!