Bearing Fruit 2

Fruit That Will Last

Part 2 - God's Grace

We are still living in times when we must follow the law of the land, or there will be chaos, with everybody doing whatever and whenever they want. Rules are needed, and God set up the authorities in this world to ensure the laws are obeyed (Romans 13:1-2). There were numerous times when we were told not to do something, or we would get in trouble, but we did it anyway. The law that was supposed to help us do the right thing made us want to sin even more (1 Corinthians 15:56). We were sinful and unrighteous until we met Jesus.

Romans 13:1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

When we accepted the free gift of Salvation so that Jesus could become our Lord and Savior, we became the righteousness of Christ and received grace and truth (John 1:17). It is essential to know that we were delivered from sin (Salvation) by the grace of God (grace is mercy and favor given to sinners, who do not deserve to be saved) through believing in Jesus (having faith in Jesus) (Ephesians 2:8-10). You are now under grace, not under law (Romans 6:14).

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Romans 6:14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

We should never forget that, initially, we were a sinful and unrighteous people who could not obey God’s law, and those who strived to do so failed. Let us also remember that God sent His Son Jesus to condemn sin in us so that we could be saved by the grace of God, and by faith in Jesus; we could fulfill the righteous requirement of the law (Romans 8:3-4). There is no condemnation for those of us who have our minds set on what the Spirit of God desires. Let us thank God for sending Jesus to save us.

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

In your spiritual walk in this world, you will hear two kinds of messages: either condemnation or righteousness. I took these terms from 2 Corinthians 3:9. I am led to believe that the condemnation message would lead the hearer to feel condemned in the end, and the righteousness message would be more inviting. We are told that “if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory” (2 Colossians 3:9). Let us always strive to hear the ministry of righteousness because we are living under Grace, not under Law.

2 Corinthians 3:9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.