Fruitology

There’s this word that gets thrown around a lot in the Christian world: theology.  At it’s root it means “God’s Word”, but most of the time it’s taken to mean “the study of God.” Sounds good right.  I think so.  That’s what this blog is all about.  “Studying to show myself approved” as it were.

But can you know a Christian based on their theology?

Think about it.  There are a lot of so-called Christians out there that know the right answers, that have the right words, seem to be doing the right things, maybe even have a semblance of spiritual power—they’re theology seems good.  On the other hand, there are some so-called Christians out there that don’t have all the right answers and are pretty ignorant of the ways of the church.  But do they have bad theology?

For that matter, should theology be the rule of thumb that is used in looking at a Christian?

Jesus gives the answer.  He says, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

What fruits is He talking about?

How about these fruits?  “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”  (Galatians 5:22-23)

Peter reiterates the list, “Applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 

If these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:4-8) 

There’s only one perfect theology out there, and that’s Jesus Christ.  In fact John 1 calls Him the “logos" of "Theos" or "Word of God." It wouldn’t be far fetched to translate it, “In the beginning was theology . . . and theology became flesh.”  It stands to reason then if you know Him, and abide in Him, you’ll be fruitful.  All these things will be added to you.  It’s the great promise He gives if you seek Him first.  So take your nose out of the books once and awhile, and fall on your knees before our great God and King, and ask Him what He thinks about theology. 

You may just walk away a little more fruitful.

(Special thanks to my good friend and brother in Christ, Aaron Halvorsen, for getting me thinking about this subject with his post: “Trees Don’t Eat Their Own Fruit” on http://www.aaronandjenn.com/  He and his wife work with CRU at MIT and Emerson College.  I’d encourage you to visit their site and support their ministry sharing the Gospel at one of the top engineering schools and leading Liberal Arts Colleges in the nation.)

Choosing Joy

In utilitarianism the unit of measurement for benefit is the overall happiness of the majority.  If an action or an idea makes the majority happy, then it becomes the moral standard of the community.  The problem with this philosophy from a Christian perspective is that it assumes that human beings are inherently good and that this morality of the majority will thus be good.

However, the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).  When the majority happiness creates moral standards this wickedness quickly comes to light. Some of the greatest atrocities in the world continue to be committed in the name of the benefits to the majority: genocide, slavery, apartheid, etc.  And for a time these things do make the majority happy.

As Christians we do not set our standards according to a majority rule rather we set them according to God’s rule. 

Sometimes we imagine that God just wants us to be happy and that His rule will make us happy, which means utilitarianism in some ways would make sense for Christians. However the Bible doesn’t teach that God wants us to be happy.  He wants us to be joyful.   There is a difference.

It's a lot like the difference between lust and love.  Lust is a fleeting desire/emotion in the body that if we choose to act on it can lead to fornication and adultery, but it will vanish just as quickly as it came if it’s resisted or acted on.  On the contrary, love is a choice that we make, which is eternal (1 Corinthians 13), as is all the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26).  With the Spirit we are empowered to choose these things.

Accordingly, desiring to be happy is a fleeting emotion that can lead to covetousness, murder, and theft, but will vanish just as quickly as lust if it’s resisted or acted on.  Joy is an eternal choice.  What does it mean to choose joy?

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 15:9-12)

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9)

First we must recognize that as a fruit of the Spirit, His joy is our joy.  “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).  Choosing joy is living in Christ, being obedient to Him, and the hope He has given us in the salvation of our souls.  

No matter what circumstance may come, whether it be suffering or pleasure, when we choose God's joy, it can never be taken away.