Do You Mind?

"I love peaches! These are really good," I admire the fruit that I am eating. The tree is fully loaded and the branches are weighed down, some are touching the ground from the burden.

"And look there at the apple trees, mom!" my son exclaims (in delight, I might add).

It appears to be a 'fruit' year, sure enough. It has been our experience that our apple trees only produce a good crop every other year. This year every thing seems loaded beyond what we usually consider 'good year'.

Galatians 5:19-21 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20) idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, 21) envyings, drunkenness, revelings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

As a Bible class teacher I often teach 'the fruits of the spirit', and we don't talk as much about the 'fruits of...' well, they aren't listed as 'fruits' they are listed under 'works of the flesh'.

Romans 8:6 "For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:"

But we need to be quite sure that when we do the works of the flesh, there will be fruits to follow.

"Yeah," the twenty-five year old fellow says, "if I want companionship I just call up some gal I know, and she comes over. If I feel like going out to a restaurant, we go out, she pays the bill and we come back to my place. If there are consequences, she has the baby or does whatever, and goes on her..."

No, I can't imagine a woman that un-intelligent, but obviously it happens.

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

So, what is wrong with this style of life? "Well," my friend says, "when the guy gets older, he will find it harder and harder to find a 'companion'. And that will be the least of his problems."

Yes, that will be the least of his problems. Usually those kind of fellows find some 'gal' that will eventually move in and be a more 'permanent' companion. Someone who will take care of him and put up with him. But that fellow has a problem and if he doesn't change will have a bigger problem.

"I want candy!" the little boy says as his mom wheels him past the candy aisle in the store. "I want toys!" you can hear him in the toy aisle. "I want candy, I want toys, I want to go back to the...!" Ever seen that in a store?

What makes something 'wrong'? I thought on this question for quite some time before finding the answer. It was in an article written about C.S. Lewis. It was very simple--some things are just wrong.

Yes, God tells us (Gal 5:19& 21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest,... of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.) that these things are sin and the consequences are damnable to our souls, but...some things are just wrong. Not because God tells us they are wrong, but because they are. God sets the standard.

Genesis 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

In this passage Abraham is bargaining with God about Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham states an eternal truth. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:...27) And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Some folks affirm that mankind is so sinful that we can't choose to do right, but if we are made in the image of God then we were not created that way... nor to be that way. God sets the standard.

Matthew 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

The works of the flesh bare evil fruit, and we often don't have to wait a long time to reap their benefits.

Ephesians 5:8 For ye were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord: walk as children of light