Present Grace - Part 4 Fruit and Thorns
We live with trouble everyday. From a Christian perspective, we believe this is because of sin. I have sin within me. You have sin within you. When we get together - often sin leaks out. If that's not bad enough, we also live in a fallen world with disease, poverty, violence and death. These things affect us all.
In their book, How People Change, Timothy Lane and David Tripp present an illustration of how we live and react to the fallen world around us. They call it the Heat, Thorns, Cross, Fruit diagram.
Heat - What is your situation? Boss make you mad? Children not listening to you? Parents not listening to you? Conflict with your spouse? Struggling financially? Chronic illness? Living in this fallen world is like living in the heat of the desert.
The big question is not whether or not we will experience heat; the Bible is clear that we will face trouble. The big question is, how do we respond? Do we respond in a sinful way or in a godly way?
Jeremiah 17:5-8 Two men. One is like a bush in the wastelands. The other is like a tree that constantly bears fruit - even in a drought. What makes the difference in the two men? It is where they put their trust, their confidence. Where they get there strength.
The profound thing about this passage is that two men may be planted together, they may experience the same times of drought - hardship, conflict, discouraging times - but their responses are totally different. One is like a shriveled, thorn bush. The other is like a tree that produces fruit - even in a drought.
Thorns - How do you react? Not only do I sin and you sin, but when someone sins against us, what do we do? We often sin in response. Our natural response is what the Bible calls foolish fleshly wisdom. We respond by avoiding, blaming, controlling. We engage in escaping sins, getting angry, and impatient. The Bible is clear, our responses are not forced upon us.
Mark 7:20-23 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
Your response comes from inside you. The ugliness of your mouth, that came from your heart.
The terrible thing about our sinfulness is that we sin, and feel justified about it. Is it right to be angry at someone and spread slander about them? Is it right to be frustrated about work and come home and be impatient with your children? Is it right to be numb your hurts with TV or alcohol or food? No, those are all thorns - sinful responses to heat.
The good news of the Bible is that you and I are not destined to sinful responses.
Cross - Who is God and what does he say and do in Christ? The Bible gives us the direction. Galatians 5:19-21 Acts of the sinful nature Galatians 5:22-26 Fruit of the Spirit
Jesus gives us the model or example of a godly, fruitful response. What is a right and godly reaction to unjust circumstance? Look to Christ.
1 Peter 2:22-23 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Remember the two trees? We can be like the thorn bush or the tree with fruit. Proverbs 12:18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Fruit - How is God calling me to seek him in repentance and faith?