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The Fruit of Life

Now at the present freed from that sin, now servants of God, the fruit you have to the extent of sanctification. Now the end goal, eternal life. (Romans 6:22)

This verse is often translated as "the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its outcome is life" but I think it is important to note it speaks of being freed from sin and already having fruit. How does one have fruit?  one grows up to bear fruit. Therefore its meaning becomes not that you are led into sanctification by fruit but that sanctification produces fruit, this makes more sense? With the outcome of sanctification being life. A true servant of God is free from sin, bears the fruit of sanctification, and the fruit of life.


now, if Christ is in you, although the body is dead through sin, now, the Spirit is life through righteousness. (Romans 8:10)

How important the role of righteousness is in bearing fruit through the Spirit. "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) Before I was born of the Spirit, the fruit I had, that I am now ashamed of, and more than just shame, the end of this or the fruit of the sinful nature was death. (Romans 6:21) "For when existing of sin, existing free of righteousness." (Romans 6:20) To exist of sin is to live accordingly, no indebtedness or desire thus free of righteousness. To be ashamed of the way I lived and at the same time enslaved by it, is a wretched state. I was "of sin" of the sinful nature and I presented my members to impurity and lawlessness, but now I am freed and exist of righteousness, it is who I am so I should present my body, in which sin dwells to righteousness and live accordingly. I can not continue in sin so that grace abounds, living according to the flesh will bear fruit of the flesh, death in bodily form.

now present your member to righteousness to the extent of sanctification. (Romans 6:19)

The word sanctification ἁγιασμός (hagiasmos) has as its root the word meaning holy. This is our calling, "For God has not called us to the extent of impurity rather in purity." (1 Thessalonians 4:7) The scriptures speak of it in a way that we must take an active part, "that each of you gains control of his own vessel in sanctification and honor." (1 Thessalonians 4:4) I am not to be passive in my struggle against sin, because the wage of sin is death and I am called to holiness as a child of God, to bear fruit of righteousness. I did receive in Christ the free gift of abundant grace and righteousness. (Romans 5:17) I will rule over sin under grace through righteousness, as grace reigns through righteousness which leads to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:21, Romans 6:14) Do you see the path to life? It is in Jesus Christ, as we receive the gift of righteousness, but we are led by the Spirit, into sanctification in truth, which bears the fruit of righteousness, which outcome is life. Although I exist in this body of sin and death, now spiritual I am freed from its law, of sin and death.

Now, if the Spirit raising Christ from the dead lives in you, the one raising Christ from the dead will also make alive your mortal bodies through his Spirit, the one living in you. So then brethren existing obligated not to the flesh to live accordingly of the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh you will certainly die. (Romans 8:11-13)

Paul writes we are no longer of the flesh nor obligated to live accordingly, we are of the Spirit if the Spirit of Christ dwells in you. But he says "brethren" if you live according to the flesh you will die! Certainly, he is talking to believers, that we can walk according to the flesh though we are a new creation. This truth Paul speaks to the church at Galatia, they started out in the Spirit but now they walk in the flesh. (Galatians 3:3) We can do religion fleshly, in an impure way, and dutifully serve, give, help orphans and widows in the flesh. Paul also warns of the need to examine sin done in the body, walking in the flesh, as those who failed to do so, many were weak and many had died. (1 Corinthians 11:28) Certainly, if you live according to the flesh you will die. Now, in context we are talking about life or death in this mortal body.

now if the Spirit puts to death the deeds of the body you will live, for those led out by the Spirit of God, these exist the sons of God. (Romans 8:13-14) 

If you live according to the flesh you will die but if you live according to the Spirit, life and peace. What is a sign of living according to the Spirit? being led by the Spirit. What is a sign of being led by the Spirit thus born of God? "the Spirit puts to death the deeds of the body." To live the Spirit must put to death the deeds of the body. This is why the Spirit is life through righteousness. The Spirit brings life to the mortal body when I bear fruit of righteousness or the deeds of the flesh are rendered powerless. 

so you consider (reason, reckon) yourself existing dead to sin, now, alive to God in Christ Jesus, therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires, no longer presenting your members to sin to the extent of obeying its desires. (Romans 6:10-12)

What is our reasonable or logical service, the sacrifice that is acceptable to God? that we present our bodies as a living sacrifice unto holiness. (Romans 12:1) We see the importance of the renewing of the mind and the command, the action, is "do not let sin reign in your mortal body." Our part is not a passive one, but active in accordance with the Spirit, considering, reasoning myself existing dead to sin, presenting my body a living sacrifice unto holiness, allowing the Spirit to lead me to put to death the deeds of the flesh, not presenting my members to impurity but to righteousness. 

"For the one existing accordingly, fleshly mind, that of the flesh. Now, the one accordingly spiritual, that of the Spirit. The mindset of the flesh; death. Now, the mindset of Spirit; life and peace." (Romans 8:5-7) 

Though released from the Law, we fulfill the righteous requirement of the law when we walk according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:4) The teaching of baptism tell us that we were buried with him in death so to be raised with him, to walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4) If united together with him in his death, or conformed to his death, also we will exist of his resurrection. (Romans 5:5, Philippians 3:10) 

"For in him the fullness of deity dwells in fleshly form and you exist filled in Him who is the head of all leaders and authorities. In Him also circumcised, a circumcision not of human hands in the putting off of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ" (Colossians 2:10) 

Christ was made head of the church so that he fills all in all and we exist filled in the head, in the circumcision of Christ putting away the flesh. This fullness in Christ is certainly about ruling, we will rule in heaven, which gives me hope, I am awaiting adoption, the redemption of my body, and to this hope, we are being saved. But also Paul is saying Christ brings us into a fullness so that we rule over sin and evil at the present time? And not just a fullness that rules over sin, but a reign in life. Grace reigns in righteousness through our Lord Jesus Christ to the extent of life.

"God set forth Christ in purpose, as a plan for fullness... to bring everything together in Christ... who is head of the church, which is the fullness of the one filling all in all... who ascended into the heavens so he might fill all, and gives gifts to men... to build up the body... to mature adulthood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 1:9-10, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 4:10-16)"* 

Is that which God purposed in Christ, to fill all in all, about growing into the fullness of him, conformed to his image, transformed from glory to glory? This implies ruling over sin in the body? John writes those born of God do not continue in sin. (1 John 3:9) Those led out of sin by the Spirit of God, these exist the sons of God. (Romans 8:14) Notice the word sons, as compared to children which a few verses later we read, "the Spirit himself bears witness with our Spirit because we exist children of God, and if children also heirs, God's heirs and heirs together with Christ, provided we suffer with him so that also glorified." (Romans 8:16-17) John writes a child knows the Father and that his sins have been forgiven, but the young adult is strong and overcomes evil. (1 John 2:12-14) We become children and grow up to be sons. Unlike a servant who doesn't remain in the house forever, a son does, he is an heir who obtains an inheritance, a glorious inheritance among the saints. (John 8:35) A child is much like a servant, under tutelage until the appointed time when he becomes heir. (Galatians 4:1)

because those he foreknew also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. Now, those he predestined, these he called, and who called these justified, and who justified these glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)

We are heirs provided we suffer with him so that also glorified. We pray that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to the power available to us (the power that glorifies, that puts to death sin in the flesh, that conforms us to his image) and to the hope of our calling and the glorious inheritance we have among the saints. (Ephesians 1:17-19) We pray that from the riches of God's glory we are granted to rule through His power, having Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith, rooted and grounded in love, so to have the strength to receive with all the saints the love of Christ without bounds, to know the love of Christ so to be filled to the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3;14-20) Who can separate us from the love of God, can tribulation, suffering...?  Oh, how important it is to know the deep love of Christ that will energize our faith, strengthen us through the suffering, so we are filled to the fullness of God, the glory being revealed in us.

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