Fruit

I wrote about this in an email to a friend recently and thought I’d put it up here for discussion, if any are so inclined.

I had kind of an interesting train of thought the other day. We, in Adam, grasped forbidden fruit to be like God – the creature striving to be the Creator. Christ, humbly, did not think equality with God a thing to be grasped but laid down His perfect life in perfect obedience for our sake. The Righteous for the unrighteous. He Who know no sin became sin THAT we might be the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). Many have called this the “Great Exchange”.

As a function of that exchange we are given a new nature and sealed by His Spirit. (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph 1:13-14). His Spirit via the new nature bears “fruit”. (Gal. 5:22-23) Fruit is singular in Galatians even though nine attributes, or “slices” so to speak, are mentioned.

So, here is the thought: Christ exchanged the fruit of our sin for the fruit of His Spirit. In striving to be as God, we became as devils. Yet, in His humble obedience, He redeemed us so that one day we will be like Him. (1 John 3:2). He gave us freely through His obedience what we could not grasp in our rebellion.