Webster’s dictionary definition of a “show case” is as follows:
“1: a glazed case, box, or cabinet for displaying and protecting wares in a store or articles in a museum 2: a setting, occasion, or medium for exhibiting something or someone especially in an attractive or favorable aspect”
“1: a glazed case, box, or cabinet for displaying and protecting wares in a store or articles in a museum 2: a setting, occasion, or medium for exhibiting something or someone especially in an attractive or favorable aspect”
Think of your typical Harvest festival, where farmers gather from miles around and display the best of their crops; pumpkins, squash, apples and pears – what have you. They put them on display for the admiration of those gathered as well as for a demonstration of their skills as husbandmen.
The LORD likewise intends for the fruit of the Holy Spirit to be displayed in our lives in ‘Show Case’ fashion, to demonstrate the work of salvation – for the admiration of those who have no such fruit and create in them a hunger for such (MATT 5:6).
The LORD intends such growth in us to display the handiwork of His holiness; to reveal we who are saints, who have the favor of the LORD, and in whom He has instilled such spiritual traits of the truly saved. He displays us intentionally before the world so that they can see what He has to offer, and to see His virtues and thus the LORD is glorified (or hated – by the world).
Any fruit grown will reveal what sort of tree it’s grown from; we know an apple tree by the apples it bears; likewise a pear tree or orange tree. How can we tell a tree of righteousness (ISAIAH 61:3) apart from a tree that is not of the same kind?
By the fruit of righteousness it bears (PHIL 1:11; HEB 12:11; JAMES 3:18).
No fruiting tree bears immediately of course; and until that time, the casual observer typically can’t tell these trees apart or even from those that don’t bear fruit at all. However, the time does eventually come when fruit is born. The tree is then known by its fruit.
Spiritually speaking, what happens to those trees that don’t bear good fruit? Scripture speaks plainly of this; John the Baptist said:
MATTHEW 3:10
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.
And the LORD Jesus confirmed this:
MATTHEW 7:18-20
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
There is the fruit of repentance (LUKE 3:8); the fruit that evidences salvation (MATT 13:23); fruit that justifies giving the Kingdom of GOD to those who shall inherit it (MATT 21:43). This fruit brings the characteristic of holiness into one’s life with everlasting life, as a promise to such that bear it (ROM 6:22). The very fruit of the Spirit of GOD is something we will be looking into later (GAL 5:22-23; EPH 5:9).
Fruit is something to be expected in the life of a true believer (PHIL 4:17); fruit that is readily observable: COL 1:6,10). This spiritual fruit is ‘fertilized’ as it were, through the very wisdom of GOD that sows this seed through the Word (JAMES 3:17). All of this good fruit is in contrast with those who are certainly not partakers of the salvation of GOD through the LORD Jesus Christ:
JUDE 1:11-13
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
So with this introduction, let’s begin:
