Abiding Fruit
Bible Pictures
1 Timothy 6:11
But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these
things; aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true
goodness), godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christlike),
faith, love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness of heart.
Amplified
Being Christlike is to exhibit the same love and characteristics Jesus showed toward men and women during His walk on earth. Being Christlike is to allow God to produce fruit in our lives.
John's Gospel contains a lengthy discourse between Jesus and His apostles just prior to His crucifixion. Chapter 15 explains how it is we are able to become more Christlike. Jesus likens the process to the growing of fruit.
Fruit was an important part of the cultural and economic landscape in the days of Jesus. Many of Christ's picture verbal picture stories draw from this environment. It is a field of knowledge foreign to most of us.
As such we sometimes skip over the discourse and parables because we do not understand the information being presented. This is always a mistake. Every word of Scripture is important. We need to learn how to interpret and understand each verse. When we do not understand an example, we need to search out from pastors, teachers, or commentaries and Bible studies the facts behind a particular picture.
For those who have little knowledge of agriculture, I tried to think of a more modern example. Maybe mine will be as obscure as grape vines. Go on to the next page and give it a try anyway.
