A Walk Which Is Bearing Fruit

Westside Care Center Tuesday, January 30, 2006

Mr. C. Pat Lanyon

[These comments were not passed out on the handout sheet.]

Review:

We are now looking at what appear to be conditions for having a worthy walk. Last time we studied the "pleasing" goal we are to have in our approach to God’s Will– how to act so as to please or ‘excite the emotion’ as it were of God.

Colossians 1:9-12 (with outline sectional marking as we are seeking to understand it)

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that (1B.) you may be filled with the knowledge of His will (1c.) in all wisdom and (2c.) spiritual understanding;

10 that you may 2B. walk worthy of the Lord, (1c1d.) fully pleasing Him, (1c2d.) being fruitful in every good work and (1c3d.) increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 (1c4d.) strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for (1c5d.) all patience and (1c6d.) longsuffering with joy;

12 (1c7d) giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Introduction:

First, let’s look at the meaning of the words we are studying for this condition:

Being fruitful means "to bring forth.. or bear fruit" and fruitful carries with it the idea of being productive, or accomplishing things that are observable and verifiable by someone else. These things can be: 1) fruit 1a) the [literal] fruit of the trees, vines, of the fields 1b) the fruit of one's loins, i.e. his progeny, his posterity

2) that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result 2a) work, act, deed 2b) advantage, profit, utility 2c) praises, which are presented to God as a thank offering 2d) to gather fruit (i.e. a reaped harvest) into life eternal (as into a granary), is used in fig. discourse of those who by their labours have fitted souls to obtain eternal life from the Online Bible’s Lexicon

Every is a universalism word incorporating all things as is defined by the next word, an adjective, good which is 1) of good constitution or nature or works that are 2) useful, salutary 3) good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy 4) excellent, distinguished 5) upright, honourable.

Work is amplified as 1) business, employment, that which any one is occupied 1a) that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking

God created man with a first purpose, however: to "be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth."

Gen1:28. Since that day in the garden God has strongly desired that His creatures do that very thing. It requires self-control and courage to be fruitful, multiply and replenish, but God’s power is behind His commands!

The passages that follow are instances of the same NT word translated "fruit"in this passage.

Mt 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit <2592>, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Mr 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit <2592>, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Mr 4:28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit <2592> of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

Lu 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit <2592> with patience.

Ro 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit <2592> unto God.

Ro 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit <2592> unto death.

Col 1:6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit <2592>, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful <2592> in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

This is found in John 15, a passage where all the other Gospel writers give way to John when he explains the intimate truths he gave to the disciples just before His arrest, trial and crucifixion.

15:1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

...[vv. 10-14 omitted due to space considerations in the handouts-- but students were encouraged to study in depth this passage.]

14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

15 "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

1. I can ______________________

2. I will _________________________

• God’s Kingdom is a reproducing kingdom, and His citizens are all expected to reproduce and to do it with abundance.
• Jesus reminded His disciples of the same, and gave them tools to do so. He gave the Spirit to enable this activity.
• An honest and good heart are the ingredients that produce this kind of fruitfulness, and thus the kind of walk called by God ‘worthy.’
• Fruitfulness is probably one of the chief goals of Jesus – especially since He spends so much time discussing it in His Upper Room Discourse.
• Because of His intense desire for us to reproduce, we realize that the act of aborting infants for any and all reasons is especially abominable to the heart of God, as well as the failure to reproduce spiritually with ‘talents’ He has given to us [Matthew 25]. Also see the spiritual immaturity described in Hebrews 5:12-14 and he Writer of Hebrews attitude about it in 6:4-8.
• Spending time determines the effectiveness and thus the fruitfulness of our lives, as we are considering the will of God.
• Great privileges are ours because of the Divine source of our call (John 15:16).

Notes

2592 karpoforew karpophoreo kar-pof-or-eh'-o

from 2593; TDNT-3:616,416; v

AV-bring forth fruit 6, bear fruit 1, be fruitful 1; 8

1) to bear fruit

2) to bear, bring forth, deeds

3) to bear fruit of one's self

2593 karpoforov karpophoros kar-pof-or'-os

from 2590 and 5342; ; adj

AV-fruitful 1; 1

1) fruit bearing, fruitful, productive

2590 karpov karpos kar-pos'

probably from the base of 726; TDNT-3:614,416; n m

AV-fruit 66; 66

1) fruit

1a) the fruit of the trees, vines, of the fields

1b) the fruit of one's loins, i.e. his progeny, his posterity

2) that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result

2a) work, act, deed

2b) advantage, profit, utility

2c) praises, which are presented to God as a thank offering

2d) to gather fruit (i.e. a reaped harvest) into life eternal (as into a granary), is used in fig. discourse of those who by their labours have fitted souls to obtain eternal life

from a derivative of 138; TDNT-1:472,80; v

AV-catch up 4, take by force 3, catch away 2, pluck 2, catch 1, pull 1; 13

1) to seize, carry off by force

2) to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly

3) to snatch out or away

good

18 agayov agathos ag-ath-os'

a primary word; TDNT-1:10,3; adj

AV-good 77, good thing 14, that which is good + 3588 8, the thing which is good + 3588 1, well 1, benefit 1; 102

1) of good constitution or nature

2) useful, salutary

3) good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy

4) excellent, distinguished

5) upright, honourable

work

2041 ergon ergon er'-gon

from a primary (but obsolete) ergo (to work); TDNT-2:635,251; n n

AV-work 152, deed 22, doing 1, labour 1; 176

AV-bring forth fruit 6, bear fruit 1, be fruitful 1; 8

1) to bear fruit

2) to bear, bring forth, deeds

3) to bear fruit of one's self

from 2590 and 5342; ; adj

AV-fruitful 1; 1

1) fruit bearing, fruitful, productive

probably from the base of 726; TDNT-3:614,416; n m

AV-fruit 66; 66

1) fruit

1a) the fruit of the trees, vines, of the fields

1b) the fruit of one's loins, i.e. his progeny, his posterity

2) that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result

2a) work, act, deed

2b) advantage, profit, utility

2c) praises, which are presented to God as a thank offering

2d) to gather fruit (i.e. a reaped harvest) into life eternal (as into a granary), is used in fig. discourse of those who by their labours have fitted souls to obtain eternal life

from a derivative of 138; TDNT-1:472,80; v

AV-catch up 4, take by force 3, catch away 2, pluck 2, catch 1, pull 1; 13

1) to seize, carry off by force

2) to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly

3) to snatch out or away

good

a primary word; TDNT-1:10,3; adj

AV-good 77, good thing 14, that which is good + 3588 8, the thing which is good + 3588 1, well 1, benefit 1; 102

1) of good constitution or nature

2) useful, salutary

3) good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy

4) excellent, distinguished

5) upright, honourable

work

from a primary (but obsolete) ergo (to work); TDNT-2:635,251; n n

AV-work 152, deed 22, doing 1, labour 1; 176

1) business, employment, that which any one is occupied

1a) that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking

2) any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind

3) an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasised in opp. to that which is less than work