Fruit of the Spirit

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! . . . Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance . . . And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:3,8,10)

Salvation and sanctification come only by faith. Works measured by humans are always found deficient. I never measure up to even my own standard. God’s standard is to simply produce good fruit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control. What good work does not begin and end with these? A tree produces fruit not by its own effort, but by a miracle of its Creator—and the tree lacking fruit will not endure.

Lord, thank You for Your Spirit, to produce from me what I cannot create myself. Please remind me of my dependence upon You. Please woo my heart mightily when it becomes weary, distracted, or self-indulgent.

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