no fruit

Some Christians do turn out to be lemons, dont we? The sweetness is there, but it's so engulfed in sourness it's hardly noticeable.

 

If you plant a seed, you get another vine.

Who is the vine?

Do we need more vines?

Also, the best vines have the branches grafted in and are not grown from seeds. (The same with apple trees, FWIW.)

Remember that bearing fruit is more than producing it. You have to produce it to bear it, obviously.

[FONT=&quot]Judges 9:13: And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

The fruit of a child of God is not another child of God, but fruit that will cheer the hearts of both God and man. If I am producing the kind of fruit that glorifies the Father, I am being a blessing to you. If you are producing the kind of fruit that pleases the Lord you are blessing me. We are to be a blessing to each other and to the saints.

Hebrews 6:7-10: For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

[/FONT] These verses deal with blessing the saints and the ministers; fruit bearing. The earth bears fruit, God bears fruit, and we bear fruit; we are to bear good fruit and not thorns and thistles.

This passage doesn’t quite convey the true meaning of the Greek. The way this is translated, it puts the contrast between two kinds of soil; one is well watered and fertile and the other is not watered and is sterile. This sort of contrast would illustrate the difference between those who have enjoyed hearing the gospel and those who have not. To the contrary, this passage puts the contrast between two classes of Christians under equally favorable conditions, out of which they develop into opposite results. A little expounding would better render it, “but if it (the ground that receives the rain) bear thorns or thistles,” it’s rejected or disqualified or near unto a curse.

This enhances the idea of “rejected”. This land that has benefited from the rain, if it continues producing thorns and thistles, is exposed to the possibility of abandonment to perpetual barrenness.

The Greek word translated as “thistle” (briars), is “tribolos”. It comes from the Greek words for “three” and “dart”; having three darts or points. It’s talking about a star thistle. It’s a word that describes a ball that rested on three iron spikes with a forth one that projected upward. They were scattered over the ground by Roman soldiers in order to impede the enemy’s cavalry. A “tribulus” is a kind of thistle. It’s referring to the exact opposite of fruit-bearing; it’s talking about hindering the saints.

If we are ministering to the saints, by bearing fruit, we are doing it by a work and labor of love.

 

There are, of course, many Christians who seem to produce long bananas. But it turns out they're just real nosy.

 

Excellent thought! I'll have to ponder this.

 

!! :laugh:

 

We know what to do with lemons.. .make lemonade....

OK, corny, I know!!

 

I thought we were supposed to squit it in others' eyes so we could blind them...

 

now, now....

How can they have "Hope of Glory" if you want to blind them with lemon juice? lol

The way this thread is being derailed we might want to call it the "fruit of the loons"

 

Take two teaspoons of lemon, add two teaspoons of honey, put in one cup of hot water. Drink this all winter long and you won't catch any colds.

Take one lemon Christian, add the honey of the Word, get him out of hot water and maybe he'll grow! :saint:

 

This is the ONLY way to see if someone is bearing fruit!

 

Or....wearing fruit! :laugh:

 

You fruity guys!

 

Fruity as a nutcake! :laugh:

 

As long as it isn't "fruity" in a 21st century, rainbow flag toting kinda way!

*edited* I wouldn't think a guy with mauve colored hair would insinuate that, though

 

A hearty Amen to that!