Crosses & Fruits

" 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
Galatians 5:19-26


"He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers. "
Psalm 1:3

"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit."
Mt. 7:8

Crucifixtion is one of the most brutal methods of execution. The acts of the flesh, though, are themselves deadly, and spiritually brutal in the carnage resulting as consequences, both in this life and as implications in negative spiritual legacies (the sins of the fathers are visited on their children...). There is spiritual necessity in using this brutal imagery in killing off our flesh. With the flesh crucified, and keeping in step with the spirit, and with our roots going down deep, as we are watered by the Word, we are like trees that are planted by streams of living water, which bear fruit in every season, whether there be bad or good "weather". Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control... These are the spiritual manifestations of the fruits that the Lord provided for Adam in Eden.
Taste and see how very good the Lord really is.