Whose Fruit is It Really?

But the fruit of the spirit/Spirit is love… – Gal 5:22 

The term “spirit” in scripture is a translation of the Greek word, “pneuma” which, like its Hebrew equivalent ruach,  essentially means “Wind”. And because these words are used to refer to upwards of 10 different terms, it is left to the Bible translator to determine, from context, whether the “pneuma” is referring to a “current of air”, “breath”, “breeze”, “angelic spirit”, “demonic spirit”, the human soul, the human spirit, the Holy Spirit, etc.

This is not hard to tell in most cases; but Gal 5:22 is somewhat of a grey area. Though the context seems to indicate that the “Spirit” there is the Holy Spirit, the fruit list contains things we would normally expect from a human spirit!

Virtually all the English translations I checked (54 in all) say that it’s the Holy Spirit, but two rendered it as human. Which is it, then?

Well, as it turns out, it’s going to be impossible to tell. Because the human spirit we’re talking about is not the dead, un-regenerated human spirit but the new, regenerated one we have in Christ. The spirit that dwells in us is “the Spirit of Christ” (Rom 8:11).

As branches of the True Vine, we’re expected to bear fruit (John 15:5); but the sap and nutrients that the branch uses to bear fruit doesn’t come from the branch, it comes from the Vine.

So we’re not expected to act constipated because we want to bear fruit; we’re supposed to yield ourselves to the workings of the Holy Spirit and the fruits will naturally appear.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. – Php 2:13.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

God is the Husbandman

...that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified. – Isa 61:3

In the parable/allegory of the “True Vine”, God is the Husbandman.

It sounds somewhat condescending for me to state such a manifestly obvious fact, doesn’t it? Why, Jesus clearly spelt it out in the opening lines of the chapter,

Joh 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”

“…My Father is the Vinedresser.” (AMP)

“…my Father is the gardener.” (CEV)

“…My Father is the vineyard keeper.” (HCSB-r) 

“…Father is the vinegrower.” (ISV)

“…Father is the Farmer.” (MSG)

Etc.

Even the various translations seem to consider this fact inviolable. The taking care of the vine is the sole prerogative of the Father. He didn’t outsource it to “Mentors”, He didn’t delegate it to “Disciplers”, He didn’t assign it to “Spiritual Fathers”…

He has never complained about the number of children He has to prune, He never claimed His hands are too full, He never said He even needs to keep track of his children.

It is His job to prune the vine, let’s not try to help Him. Like one fine minister once said, “If we (church leaders) try to cut the Believers ourselves, we’ll end up cutting them roughly… or probably cut the wrong thing”.

We cannot micro-manage our members’/protégée’s/mentee’s/etc.’s spiritual development. Our job as spiritual parents (just as with the physical) is to provide healthy nutrition for them, and place them in a safe, enabling environment. We cannot decide their pattern of growth. No two believers have the same destiny and thus the same path of ascendancy.

We’re called to make disciples, not spiritual clones of ourselves.

God is the Husbandman

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

The Vine

…the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. – Col 1:27 

John 15 is one of the pivotal chapters in the fourth Gospel. It’s the only chapter in the Gospels that’s composed entirely of Jesus’ words alone. And though it’s one of the chapters that introduces us to the Person of the Holy Spirit (“the Comforter”), and though it contains some of the most memorable verses in scripture (“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”); its core message is the introduction of Christ as the “True Vine”.

Several Old Testament passages already refer to the nation of Israel as a vine (Ps 80:8-16, Is 5:1-7, Jer 2:21, Ez 15:1-8; 17:5–10, 19:10–14, Hos 10:1, etc.) which may have necessitated Jesus referring to Himself as the “TRUE Vine”. The original Vines weren’t faithful, but this One was faithful to the Father in everything.

John chapter 15 is meant to be a chapter of Hope and Comfort. Jesus is saying “My Father has always and cultured vines; but none proved reliable. I, on the other hand, am faithful and True.

“And you don’t have to worry about being a “True” Vine like me, you are the Branches of this True Vine.”

What a beautiful and wonderful thought. To be inseparably intertwined into Christ. Ponder on the implications and application of this powerful reality today.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN