The Fruit of Holiness

19 March 2008

The Fruit of Holiness

Posted by Michelle under: Introspection; Wisdom; .

I’ve been poking through Deuteronomy on the ESV chronological plan, and as I told Lee, sometimes ending up with more questions than answers. This week, the Wisdom Wednesday comes from our Sunday school lesson, which has been challenging to me. Here is what we were reading:

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Romans 6:19-22

When I heard this, I thought, That’s a passage I should remember, and now I’m working on memorizing it. It’s important to remember the fruit of my actions today, whether of righteousness or iniquity. Our tendency is to think of the fruit of righteousness as good children. We erroneously think If I’m a good mom, the fruit will be good children; yet when our children misbehave, we are devastated, as though God were not a faithful God. My goal has been to remember that the fruit of obeying the Holy Spirit is holiness, or Christlikeness. I’ve remembered it once or twice. It’s also important to remember that, as a child of God, I am not helpless against the fight with sin. Sometimes I’ve forgotten this truth.

As a side note, Wisdom Wednesday helps me (including this week) to remember what I’ve learned, truths that otherwise would have passed through my brain with little application. It’s also helped me to ask more, “How is Scripture changing me this week?” It’s been a good way to be a doer of the word, and not just a hearer.

For the story behind Wisdom Wednesday, click here. How has God’s Word been changing you?