Firstfruits

 

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. – James 1.18

 

Of God’s own will he gave us new birth

We gave us new birth through His word

He gave birth to us so that we would bear fruit

 

What a wonderful truth to find in one little verse. God chose to give new birth to a world of people who rejected Him and gloried in their sin. He chose to offer a new spiritual birth to His enemies at war against Him.

 

To make sure we would get it straight He gave us to it through His word and gave it to us in written so that we could not get it wrong.

 

Because we are reborn we have new life and where there is life there is fruit. Where there is no fruit either there is either no life or something is very wrong with the life that is there.

 

We need to ask ourselves if our lives and bearing fruit that is worthy of our new life. Do I produce the same fruit that my lost neighbour produces, or does my fruit set me apart?

 

The fruits that I need to bear? How about love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, faith, meekness, and the like. How about goodness and kindness and compassion. Those are the fruits of a life born of the word of God.

Apple trees bear apples. That’s obvious. Being born of the word of God naturally produces the fruit of the word of God.