Anyone can bear the fruit of the Light when they dwell in the Word of God who is Light. Ephesians 5:9 reads, "For the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth." When we harmonize the goodness, righteousness, and truth, we can bear the fruit of the Light. We can be recognized by all people as God's true children and shed beautiful light in the darkened world.
The fruit of goodness, which is seen by God as a beautiful and good heart
If the fruit of goodness is borne in us, we neither seek our own benefits nor do evil in any kind of situation. Even if it means self-sacrifice, we can seek others' benefits. We can also think in others' shoes so we do not act unbecomingly and we can act following the duty of man.
Additionally, we will not envy others nor do we want to be lifted high or show off. We will rejoice with the truth in everything and act following only goodness in God's sight. When the fruit of goodness is borne and manifested in our lives, it is the evidence that we are children of the Light, that is, God's true children.
Here, we should remember goodness in the world is different from that in God's sight. People in the world think a person good when he suppresses hatred and discomfort without revealing in disadvantageous situations. But God deems it evil for us to have ill feeling in our hearts though it is not revealed.
A person of goodness never has ill feelings even when others do evil to him, but instead he considers them to be pitiably abject and loves them. He moves their hearts with service and sacrifice. Moreover, if he can give his life for evil doers like Jesus did, he has reached the level of goodness that God really delights in.
Only when we achieve goodness in God's sight will the work of God who is Light follow, and then we will be recognized by God and renew even evil people and lead them to the way of salvation.
The fruit of righteousness, which is the belief in and obedience to the Word of God
As Romans 10:10 says, "For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness…" when we believe God's Word and obey it, we can bear the fruit of righteousness.
However, faith is not given just because we want it. To the extent that we cast off sins and evil from our hearts and we become sanctified, God gives us faith from above. Only with such faith can we obey the will of God and accomplish impossible things.
Daniel knew that he would be thrown into the den of lions if he kept praying. But he was not afraid whatsoever, and just acted in God's will (Daniel 6). Daniel's three friends also knew that they would be cast into the blazing furnace if they did not worship the idol. But they did not worship it (Daniel 3). They believed that God could rescue them from death, and even believed that even if He did not, He would give them better dwelling places and rewards in Heaven. With such faith, they boldly obeyed the will of God in action in the danger of life.
Their faith was revealed as the fruit of righteousness. Then, God not only rescued them from death but also made their kings revere and glorify Him. When we practice righteousness with faith during our daily lives, it will be revealed as the fruit of the Light and God will be glorified before all people.
The fruit of truth, which is not to lie and not to change in any kind of situation
If you practice goodness and profess faith due to others' eyes, you will not be recognized as bearing the fruit of the Light. God does not look at our appearance but at our inner hearts. Thus, only truthful deeds and profession can reach God as fragrance.
When a test comes, your faith will be checked. Some pray earnestly and fulfill their duties when they are filled with the Holy Spirit. But when they are faced with tests, they may lose the fullness, stop praying, and get behind in their duties. Some others may even leave God when the fruit that they want seems to take too long or when believing lives do not seem to be beneficial to them.
God really wants our true profession, deeds, and unchanging fruit of the truth. If you understand God's love, your love for Him will never change in any kind of situation and condition and you will run more earnestly over time (Romans 8:38-39). It is to bear the fruit of truth.
God's children should bear the fruits of goodness, righteousness, and truth in hope for the eternal Heaven and long for the second coming of the Lord.
Therefore when the Lord, our Bridegroom comes, let's be those who can boldly confess that we have shed the Lord's Light on the world and led many souls to the Lord!
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