Have you experienced the futility of trying to produce spiritual fruit by your own efforts?
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
The state where I live is known for producing citrus fruit. There are thousands upon thousands of acres of all kinds and varieties. While there’s incredible crop diversity, most have one thing in common: they grow on sour lemon stock.
The best way to produce good quality fruit is to grow seedlings from sour lemon stock and then attach, by budding or grafting, material from trees that are known to be good producers.
While sour lemon stock may produce hearty trees, the fruit it produces is not edible. But when a graft or bud from sweet fruit is grafted just above the surface, sweet fruit begins to blossom. The old is gone and the new has come.,
In the same way, Jesus does this when we accept Him. We become a new creation. Life takes on new meaning and we begin to blossom into the people God created us to be. The more we engraft God’s Word into our hearts, the more we grow in Christ.
Have you experienced the futility of trying to produce spiritual fruit by your own efforts? If you redirect your energies to “engraft” Scripture into your life and meditate on it day and night, God’s Word will successfully bear good fruit in your life.
Lord, I am not what I used to be, but I’m still not what You created me to be. Help me to be engrafted to You through Your Holy Spirit so I may be more like You. Amen.
By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney
Further Reading
• Understanding more about the Holy Spirit
• Spiritual Oxygen: Are You Getting Enough?
• Salvation Explained