Good Fruit Comes from God Alone

Posted by: Leah Gartner, Director of Marketing and Events | Monday, November 4th, 2024 (12:00pm)

And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else...So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. — James 1:13,16-17

News flash, I live in a fallen world…we all do. Alright, so I guess that isn’t really a newsflash. All it takes is being in a house with other people for a few hours, glancing at my phone and reading the headlines for five minutes, or just hanging out with my own thoughts for a split second to understand that sin is real, and temptation is everywhere.

Temptation to act in anger, to be selfish, to talk trash about other people, to tell a lie to get ahead or cover another sin. The list is endless. The constant temptation to do something that seems great for a minute and totally justifiable in my own head but will hurt me in the end.

Let’s take it back to Genesis 2 and 3 with the couple that started it all. God told Adam and Eve in the Garden, “You may freely eat of the fruit in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die" (Gen 2:16-17). In other words, you have lots of awesome choices for food that are beautiful, healthy, and taste great. Choices that are good and perfect for bringing and sustaining life forever. But there is another choice here, that looks good, but will kill you, so don’t do it.

Simple right? But as we know much of the battle with sin happens in our mind. Right away Satan takes advantage of Eve by bringing the forbidden tree to the center of her attention. He knows the truth, but he wants humanity to think about the one thing they can’t have, so he asks, “Did God really say you must not eat fruit from any of the trees in the Garden?” and Eve’s like, “Of course we can eat fruit from the trees in the garden. It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat.”

But now she is thinking about the one tree. She was fighting the temptation because she knew that God said it would kill her, but Satan keeps pushing and lies again, “You won’t die…you will be like God.” Then, the four words we know all too well…

The woman was convinced.

I know she was convinced because, as a Christian for most of my life, I have read and heard this story many times. People who have never set foot in a church know this story. We can blame Eve all we want, but I know if I had been there I would have done the same thing, because I have done the same thing! I have heard God tell me with His loving voice, “Daughter don’t look at that, don’t partake in that, don’t say that, because it will hurt you and the people around you.” But still, so many times…

I was convinced

Convinced that it’s not that big of a deal, that it’s probably not really sin anyway, not anymore. Convinced that no one will ever find out about it, that I am only hurting myself. Satan is an expert at deceiving each one of us into believing that it is he, not God, who really knows what will make us happy.

But God loves me too much to let me go down a path that will lead to sin and pain and eventually death. He wants me to know that “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God… and He never changes” (James 1:17). He is the same yesterday and today, therefore we can trust Him with His goodness. He has our best interest at heart and when God says no, there is a good reason for it.

Jesus is the key: the ultimate Good and Perfect Gift that was given to us to overcome temptation and sin in our lives. On my own I cannot do it. Maybe I can for a little while, or certain sins won’t tempt me, but it’s a guarantee that another one will. Jesus not only paid the price for sin, but now the Holy Spirit walks along with me to guide me to choices that will lead to life; to the trees in the garden that will sustain me and bring me true joy.

In fact, God will pick me back up again when I do fall into sin and lead me back to His loving heart. His love for me is unchanging and doesn’t depend on what I do or don’t do. He will lift me above the temporary noise of temptation and point me to the good and sustaining life He has for me. That’s something no earthly “tree” can ever do. Only Jesus can. And he does. Of that I am convinced.