Where's the Fruit?

Where’s the Fruit?

When I was a kid my grandparents lived in Arizona.  Our family would often spend our spring breaks of the school year amid the aroma of orange blossoms, basking in the warm sunshine and brilliant blue skies. And like many kids, I had a grandparent who was a little eccentric. My grandfather had two life-sized mannequins in lawn chairs on his back patio who were connected to motion detector devices. When people walked by in the neighborhood, Herbert and Sherbert would start rocking in their chairs and waving. He also had the curtains in the guest bedroom wired to photoelectric cells and an old blender motor so the curtains would open with a loud whirring sound as soon as the sun came up. During my teen years, that was my particular favorite. Sheesh!

But the neighborhood favorite was a fruit tree my grandpa had in his yard of green lava rocks. It was an orange tree naturally, I believe, but he had placed plastic bananas, apples, oranges and grapes among the branches with wires so that it looked like a fruit salad tree! And my grandpa would laugh from the comfort of his air-conditioned house as he watched passersby point and gaze with wonder at his amazing creation.

I was reminded of this crazy tree as I read the first few chapters of 1 Corinthians this week. Paul writes to the “church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy”. (1 Corinthians 1:2) The church in Corinth was made up of people from many cultural and economic backgrounds. When the Jews were expelled from Rome in the 1^st century, many of them went to Corinth. They congregated in house churches with other believers from various backgrounds to form the early Christian community in the area. Paul is writing to the Christians in Corinth to address some specific spiritual issues and begins his letter with some very encouraging words:

I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way – in all your speaking and in all your knowledge – ⁶because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (1 Corinthians 1:4-9)

These verses are the foundation for the church’s identity. Look at what they can claim:

1)   They are enriched. Verse 5 says, “…in him you have been enriched in every way”. In what they say, in what they know, they are reflecting all the goodness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their quality of life is enhanced and their lives have more value because of their relationship with Christ.

2)   They are equipped. Verse 7 says that they “do not lack any spiritual gift”. God has given them every spiritual quality they need to live victoriously and joyfully.

3)   They are fortified. Verse 8 promises that Christ will keep these believers strong. Just like breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals to make the kids who eat them stronger and healthier, Jesus gives His followers all the strength they need to resist temptation, triumph over difficulties, and grow in character.

4)   They are justified. Only faith in the risen Christ can allow these believers to come to God justified – just as if they’d never sinned. His death and resurrection make it possible to approach God’s throne and stand in His Presence without fear of judgment.

   

But here’s the part when the fruit may or may not be fit for consumption. In the following chapters of this letter, Paul has some fairly harsh things to say about this group of Christians. In spite of this glowing introduction, reminding them of all they are because of the power and grace of God, Paul needs to address some pretty base issues of morality and behavior in this community. Take a look at some of his concerns:

You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:3)

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. ² And you are proud! (1 Corinthians 5:1-2)

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? ⁸ Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. (1 Corinthians 6:7-8)

In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. ¹⁸ In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. (1 Corinthians 11: 17-18)

  

Jealousy, quarreling, sexual immorality, pride, cheating each other, divisions… How can this be the same group of people that are enriched, equipped, fortified and justified? What kind of fruit is this community tree producing?! And I’m not the first to highlight this discrepancy. James wrote: Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? (James 3:10-12) How can Christians who have been given everything they need for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness miss the mark so frequently and fall so short of God’s desires and standards? How do I allow it to happen in my own life?

There is a key element to healthy, consistent fruit that is simple, but hard to implement. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) If I have been given a treadmill, but don’t walk on it, I will not improve my cardiovascular health. If I have been given a sonic care toothbrush, but don’t charge the battery, my dentist won’t see the difference. If my son is given Flintstone chewable vitamins, but doesn’t eat them, his bones and muscles won’t reap the benefits of the nutrients inside.

As followers of Christ, we have been given everything we need to live the abundant life Jesus came to give us. However, when we fail to connect to the very source of those blessings, the fruit we produce is anything but fresh and nutritious. What we can eke out on our own is nothing compared to the glorious results that Christ wants to produce in us as we live in close, intimate relationship with Him.

What does it look like to remain in Christ and make the most of the blessings He’s already bestowed?

• Gratitude – Cultivating gratitude is good for our disposition, and developing the habit reminds us to look for the positive in our lives and acknowledge its source. This may be thanking God for a meal before we eat it, writing what we are thankful for in a journal, or simply saying, “thanks be to God!” when we hear good news.

• The Word – There is no substitute for reading, knowing and meditating on God’s Word. I notice a difference in my demeanor and in my relationships when I am not consistently spending time with God in the Bible. He speaks to me, convicts me of truth, and encourages me through the words written hundreds or thousands of years ago. No substitute. (Did I say that already?)

• Communication – I need to hear from God and I need to pour out my heart to Him. That’s what prayer is. Quiet, meditative time as well as quick, “help me!” prayers. Constant awareness of His Presence has long been the goal of many contemplatives through the ages. God is present while I change a diaper, when I am under the pressure of a deadline at work and in every conversation.

We have been given every spiritual blessing – new birth into a living hope – everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (Ephesians 1:3, 1 Peter 1:3, 2 Peter 1:3) We have been enriched, equipped, fortified, and justified. How will we respond? Will we ignore our blessings and take them for granted, or will we make every effort to remain connected to the Source of our blessings and allow Him to transform us into the people He created us to be?

• Where do you see discrepancies in your life between the life God has called you to and the life you see played out? Words? Actions? Attitudes?

• What steps will you take this week to connect with God?