98: Bearing Fruit

The devil tries to confuse us about who we are. He tries to make us think the work is not finished, and we are not yet complete in Christ. His main strategy is to get us working and focusing on the fruit, instead of the Source. We hear the question from well-meaning Christians, “Are you bearing fruit? You need to get to work! Bear some fruit!” There’s a teaching in the church that we must examine ourselves to see if we are bearing fruit, or we cannot be sure that we are saved. This makes bearing fruit a work that people strive to produce to cleanse their conscience.

So we start looking at patience or kindness or goodness or self-control, and then we try our hardest to get it. Or we start looking at healing and we try to earn it. So we go back to self-effort (self-righteousness), and we pray harder, fast more, make resolutions to change, and declare the Word with zeal pushing to MAKE fruit happen. Where in the world did we get this idea of bearing fruit? Fruit comes from abiding in God’s love. We can’t produce fruit! Fruit is a byproduct of receiving the sap of His enduring love.

(from pages 162-163 of Unveiling Jesus)

Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!

Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.

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