Do Not Bear Poisonous Fruit
Daily Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 26-29
Daily Focus Passage: Deuteronomy 29
Fruit can look good to the eye and taste unflattering. Yet, at the same time, some fruit looks appetizing by would be poisonous to consume. In Deuteronomy 29, the people of Israel received a warning of turning to idols instead of remaining faithful to the Lord. The warning cautioned not to fool the self with false obedience that does not authentically trust in the Lord or follow his commands. This warning reaches through the centuries and also serves as a caution to us today.
WHEN FRUIT TURNS POISONOUS
The fruit of the people reflected their obedience and trust in the Lord. When their hearts remained in the Lord, the fruit of their lives reflected the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord. The threat of sin and flesh constantly served as a possible place of faltering and turning from the Lord. When the heart turned from the Lord to the flesh, the people started producing the fruit of the flesh, and their lives became plagued by idolatry.
The life of idolatry means the root of their life becomes severed from faithfulness to the Lord, and they become fueled by the flesh. The existence of this poisonous root leads people to produce fruit inconsistent with the truth of the Lord and illuminates the ways of the flesh. The ways of the flesh serve as fruit driven by sin and unrighteousness. Thus, the evidence of fruit in life becomes the case for one wayward from the Lord.
SELF-DECEPTION OF POISONOUS FRUIT
In Deuteronomy 29, we find that the people “know” the ways of the Lord and, as a result, should know how they should live in obedience. The issue arises because their knowledge is based in the flesh and has not penetrated the heart. Thus, their understanding of fruit-bearing flows from an intellectual state instead of a being state. The intellectual state fuels the belief that they live a life of obedience.
When people live in an intellectual understanding alone, they create an atmosphere in which they rest in false security. They become overly legalistic and seek to discover avenues to justify the action of the self. This false security often leads people to believe they are “good” enough and will receive the blessing of the Lord. The stubbornness of the heart promotes this belief and blinds people from seeing their genuine state.
THREE TRUTHS TO OVERCOME POISONOUS FRUIT
The children of Israel received this warning, and we must heed this warning today as well. Thus, I see three important truths to help us battle the presence and temptation of poisonous fruit. First, we must remember that God rids us of poisonous fruit. The Lord will not bless those who produce the fruit of unrighteousness. These individuals may know the Lord intellectually but do not intimately know him as Lord and Savior. Thus, we must live remembering the true punishment of bearing poisonous fruit.
Second, we must guard against the threats of poisonous fruit. We must strive to place guardrails around our life that keep the threats of unrighteous fruit at bay. We must find avenues to systematically check our motives, thoughts, and the fruit produced. The placement of guardrails sets metrics to help promote the living out of righteousness and reveals when repentance is needed.
Third, we must repent when needed. We cannot assume forgiveness or that the Lord will overlook our moments of unfaithfulness. Thus, we must seek proper repentance when poisonous fruit sneaks in. Proper repentance occurs when we acknowledge the situation, take responsibility, turn from those ways, turn to the ways of the Lord, and seek forgiveness from the Lord.
What fruit marks your life today? Is your life producing fruit of righteousness or unrighteousness? Is your life praising the Lord in obedience or displaying poisonous fruit? What steps can you take to construct guardrails, and what do you need to repent of?
