Apples and Oranges

Have you ever seen an apple tree with a few oranges on it? Yeah, neither have I. An apple tree automatically produces apples. It does not have to try to produce apples, it just happens. You will never see a naturally growing apple tree growing oranges, or lemons, or pears. Nor can an orange tree chose to produce an apple if it likes. So now you are wondering if I have gone crazy and you are witnessing my decent into madness, but hear me out. Our churches are filled with self-proclaimed apple trees that grow oranges!

A few months ago I blogged about how when we are filled with the Holy Spirit there is fruit to follow, but now I'd like to take it a step further and say that there is specific fruit that a tree of righteousness will not produce. Just as an apple tree does not have to make a conscious effort to produce apples, we should not have to make a conscious effort to produce good fruit. Galatians 5:19-21 tells us:

"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outburst of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin."(NLT)

Conversely, Galatians 5:22 says:

"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control." (NLT)

So many times I find myself praying with people who say they are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, yet they find themselves constantly struggling with certain sins. We pray, and they find deliverance for a little while, but then they run back again. Anyone in ministry knows what a frustrating scenario this is, but perhaps the problem is that we are praying for symptoms instead of the cure for the disease. If a person who is filled with the Spirit will only produce good fruit, then should we not stop praying about the bad fruit and instead pray for the individual to be consumed by the Spirit? For if we are really filled by His Spirit, we can't help but produce love, peace, self-control, and the rest.

Lord, I pray that we would be enveloped by Your Holy Spirit, so that He has complete control of our lives. I pray that we would become trees of righteousness that produce good fruit naturally.