<< Back |
Chosen no: R-523 b, from: 1883 Year. |
Change lang
| |
Fruits Of The Spirit.
"If these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."--2 PET. 1:8.
Good works and knowledge are so closely related that it is useless to
think of separating them; they are produced by the same Spirit. Believing this,
the TOWER seeks to present the deep things of God not to a worldly class, but
to the consecrated, in whom the fruits of the Spirit are being produced,
realizing that the natural man [the unconsecrated] receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.--(1 Cor. 2:14.)
Wherever, therefore, and in proportion as we find the fruits of the
Spirit, we expect to find the Spirit which produced those fruits. And all
possessing this Spirit and using it, will be able not only to grow in grace but
in knowledge also, and shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the KNOWLEDGE
of our Lord.
This statement of the inspired Apostle, that a man cannot be fruitful in
the graces and barren in the knowledge of the Lord, may and should astound some
who boast of their graces and freely admit their ignorance of the Lord and his
plans.
Many who seem to be religious have only a form of godliness, a form of
faith, a form of patience, a form of charity, a form of brotherly kindness. May
we not, on Peter's authority, safely set it down that those graces are like
clusters of grapes tied on to thorn bushes and not the real fruit of the vine,
if we find not with them that essential favor of God--a "knowledge of the
Lord Jesus Christ?" May we not conclude that such, if ever purged from sin
by faith in the sin sacrifice, have been blinded by the God of this world, and
"cannot see afar off"--cannot grasp or appreciate the things future
in the unfolding of our Father's plan. (Verse 9and Jno.
16:13.)
The Apostle continues, verse 10: "Wherefore the rather, brethren,
give diligence to make your calling and election sure." As though he said
on this account you must criticise yourselves very closely to see that you are
developing the real fruits of the Spirit, remembering the test I have given
you, that the real fruits will have among them, prominently, an increasing
knowledge of our Lord--a close, intimate acquaintance and communion with him--
in which he will reveal himself to us by showing us "things to come."
Nor can the knowledge fruit be obtained independent of the other
fruits-- [though a parrot-like form of knowledge might exist without the
others, it should be thus recognized as only the form]--because these various
fruits are results of the same spirit or sap. And if one of these fruits
withers and dies, it indicates that the supply of sap is being cut off, that
the spirit is being lost by that branch, and surely indicates that all the
fruits are withering and dying. Let all these fruits be in you and abound;
quench not the Spirit. "For if you do [bear all] these things ye shall
never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (Verses 10,11.)
[R524 : page 2]
But, does some one suggest, that thus making knowledge one of the
necessary fruits of the Spirit would exclude from the spiritual class many
ministers and others? We reply, that while knowledge is essential, it does not
follow that the knowledge must be perfect. It has pleased our Father to permit
a veil of error to be drawn across his plan--
"WHICH
VEILS AND DARKENS HIS DESIGNS."
And only as it becomes due time does he remove that veil gradually,
finally completely finishing "the Mystery of God." Hence, knowledge
as a fruit of the Spirit, could never heretofore reach the same size which it
now may and should attain. God expects the size of this fruit to be
proportionate with its opportunities and possibilities. As an illustration--we
refer you to the words of Albert Barnes, quoted in another column. These prove
that what he knew of God's character, as revealed through nature and in our
Lord Jesus, had won his heart, so that, in comparison, the errors of that
man-made theology were irreconcilable. As the due time for these mists to be cleared
away has come, we should expect all such to advance in the shining path.
W.T. R-0523b-: page 2 - 1883r