Once again, spring time has returned to our country. Everything is so beautiful. The grass is green, the trees are budding, all the flowers are blooming. The air feels warm and pleasant. We see the birds returning to delight us with their singing. The whole of nature seems to have come back to life. The cold winter is past, the ice and snow are gone.

Just a short while ago, everything was dead, lifeless, and cold. It is a marvelous transformation, a change that makes us all happy. “For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Song of Solomon 2:11–13

In the spring time, there is warmth and sunshine, yet still some people are sad and unhappy. What spoils their joy? When everything looks so beautiful, there is still something ugly, something that spoils this world, and it is the people; the inhabitants of this planet have spoiled it, so that many do not enjoy living here.

I have seen many luxurious homes surrounded by beautiful gardens. They are richly furnished, extremely comfortable, yet everyone in those homes look unhappy. Most of the time there is strife and quarreling. The members of the family are very cold towards each other.

Is there no sunshine that could shine into human hearts and melt the ice and remove the coldness? How wonderful it would be if the whole human family would put away hatred, ill feelings, bitterness, and blend together in loving fellowship.

If we do not know how to accomplish this, can God do it? After all, He is omnipotent; nothing is too hard for Him. But, God has tried His best to bring the human family into unity.

“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt Me and My vineyard. What could have been done more to My vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?” Isaiah 5:3–4. God is asking, what more could have been done in My vineyard, that I have not already done? Then, why did it bring forth wild grapes?

God says, “When I tried to bring peace, why is there strife? When I tried to bring happiness, why is there sadness and misery?”

“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:16–20

Jesus spoke of two kinds of trees—good trees and corrupt trees. How do we know which is a good tree and which is a corrupt and evil tree? The appearance is deceiving, many corrupt trees look good from the outside. Jesus said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” The fruit is the produce of the character.

Paul writes in Galatians about the good fruit that is produced:

  • Love—love to God above all and to his neighbor as to himself. He loves all people. He no longer knows how to hate.
  • Joy—he is always smiling, always cheerful.
  • Peace that passes understanding, he is always calm and serene.
  • Longsuffering towards others, tolerant. Patient as Job was, even when everything seems to go wrong. Patient towards those who are slow and even irritating.
  • Gentleness and kindness. It is wonderful to live with a gentle person. Even if you make mistakes, he understands. He may not have the class and the style that the world appreciates, but true gentleness guarantees a happy home life.
  • Goodness covers all the good qualities. A good person is generous, kind, forgiving, wishing no evil to anyone. He is understanding and unselfish. True goodness is Christlikeness.
  • Faith. He believes and trusts in God. By faith he is able to do the impossible, to overcome sin, to gain perfection, to receive justification.
  • Meekness or humility is the secret of unity. Very few talented, successful people have the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.
  • Temperance is the last on the list, but it is not the easiest to learn. Temperance goes directly against the old human nature.

If someone has all of these fruits, he is a good person. He has continuous sunshine in his heart. He lives in the summer.

The other class are called corrupt trees. Their fruit is different. Paul writes about them in 2 Timothy chapter three.

  • Having a form of godliness, but they are lovers of themselves, selfish. They want to gratify all their desires and lusts, their appetites. They have very little love to their fellow men.
  • Covetous—they are never satisfied. They are unhappy because they do not have all they want. They are always wanting more. God has not given them His wisdom. They complain easily.
  • Boasters—they love to show off. “Can everyone see what I can do?” They want to show others what they can accomplish.
  • Proud—spiritual pride is the worst kind of pride, considering ourselves better than others is evil and satanic.
  • Disobedient to parents. There will not be one child in heaven who is disobedient to his parents.
  • Unthankful—ingratitude is directly from Satan. God had made him the highest being in the universe, wise, beautiful, in a high position. He gave him more power than to anyone else, yet Satan was unthankful and hated God.
  • Trucebreakers. They think very lightly of baptismal vows, marriage vows, or any promise that they have made.
  • Despisers of those who are good. They see nothing special in the children of God. The do not admire them, neither do they copy them. Even Christ Himself is nothing great in their eyes. They do not spend their time with Him, beholding Him.
  • Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. They would rather watch television than read the Bible. Their favourite conversation is of the world, fashion, music, jokes. They may have a form of godliness, but they are corrupt trees.

The whole world fits into one or the other class. Professed Christians fit into one or the other class, depending on whom they associate with—Christ or Satan.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5. Whoever abides in Christ brings forth the fruit of love, gentleness, kindness and patience.

On the other hand we read, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44. These were the religious leaders that Jesus was speaking to.

If our roots are in Christ, our fruit is good. If our roots are in Satan, our fruit is corrupt and evil. Roots refer to our mind, thoughts, and our heart. Our mind may not be in the person of Satan, but in the things he offers. Satan has a very cheap character. There is nothing noble, or great, or good in him. Also, his followers have a cheap character. They are worthless. They may have a high education, all class and style, and have a great personality. But yet their selfishness and jealousies make them very cheap in character. They are good only to be cast into the lake of fire.

Once in a while we learn of someone with a little greatness, but it is one in a million. When Isaac made a well, the herdsmen of Gerar took it. Instead of fighting over it, he dug another well. And when this well was taken by other herdsmen, he dug a third well. This is true greatness. Isaac had a noble character. He learned this gentle character in his childhood when at an early age he stretched himself on the altar at his old father’s request, to be sacrificed as an offering to God.

Joseph had a noble character, even though his brothers hated him and tried to kill him. He saved their lives, gave them gifts and the best part of the land to live in. He could have taken revenge on them, but instead he showed kindness.

David could have killed his enemy, Saul, in the cave. But he would not go against his openly-vowed enemy. David still loved Saul. How often people turn against their friends, for the smallest reasons. Saul had no real reason to hate David.

To do good to those who hate you and ignore you is divine. It is holiness. It is a great and noble character to sacrifice your goods, your time, and your money, to save others.

Why did Paul give up all and go to the Gentile countries to preach the gospel, to be hated and finally be put to death? His great character did not allow him to live a selfish life.

Why did Christ die for me and you? Can you see the greatness in it? Do you admire Him for doing it? Do you often think about it, and thank Him for it—that One so great and powerful would love the lowly sinner, who sacrifices all for Him?

Here in our world, leaders, rulers, the heads of governments regard themselves very highly, their own lives and positions. They will do all that is possible to secure their own safety and position, while masses of their subjects are killed and sacrificed mercilessly as worthless beings.

This is Satan’s character. He did not love the fallen angels. He tried to persuade them to be with him in his war against Christ and God. The angels were used for his selfish purposes. Satan uses men and women for his selfish purposes, but he does not love them nor does he care for them; if they would be lost or become insane, or end up in prison, he laughs at them.

This metamorphosis, or transformation of character, which takes place in nature in the spring time, can take place in us, as we pull our roots out of Satan and plant them in Christ. Immediately we begin to produce good fruit. Then we can overcome. And as overcomers, we will be in heaven and inherit all things.

In the time of Noah, it was not a question of who happened to wander up and walk into the ark by chance, who was saved. No, those who overcame their sins, they were led by the Spirit of God into the ark of safety. Those who are led by the Spirit of God today will be brought, sooner or later, into the family of God. Human knowledge and wisdom has nothing to do with it. We must be in Christ, bearing good fruits, and then the Spirit of God will lead us to safety.

Being in Christ means that our mind and heart are in Him. We think of Him, we look upon His character, we admire Him. And we bear good fruit. Being in Satan means that our mind is in the world. Ambitions fill our mind. Our conversation is worldly, because that is what we think about. Whom we love, they are who we keep in our mind; they are who we think of all day long.

We can change our loyalty—it is possible. In our personal life, this change can happen today. Let the sunshine into your heart. Let Jesus in, and the ice will melt. The coldness will disappear. Flowers will come out, and you will have spring time and summer in your heart. Then you will bear good fruit for others to enjoy. Your love, your joy, your peace, will be so catching that whoever is with you will enjoy this wonderful fruit.

“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Ephesians 3:19. When we know the love of God by experience, then we will be filled with His fullness. Then we are no longer poor, or lacking anything. Through the connection with Christ, the fullness of God fills us. All is well with us. But the moment this connection is broken, we are miserable, poor, blind, and naked. We are lacking everything, and we are unhappy while the sun is shining.

Let us enjoy this spring time, and thank God for it, and we will be the happiest people, always smiling and praising God.

Amen

Adapted from a sermon by Timo Martin