Written by Gaby Medrano, Iron Rose Sister Ministries volunteer from Nicaragua in Colombia
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Eph 5:11 NIV)
Imagine a beautiful orange tree planted in land where the soil is filled with weeds, thorns, parasites, and invasive plants. The tree will be completely barren and fruitless. The weeds don't work to bear fruit; they only consume nutrients from the soil, choke out life, and destroy everything around them.
The apostle Paul calls sins "unfruitful works" because they are exactly like that weed that takes up space, absorbs your energy, but at the end of the day produces nothing of real value for your spiritual life, your family, or your inner peace. It is empty productivity—a barrenness disguised as life.
We live in a world of constant change, where we are expected to adapt to different scenarios, situations, fashions, places, or cultures. If you don't, you simply "don't fit in" or "don't adapt"; that's how you will be judged. However, God has called us to make a difference—to be light in the midst of darkness—and for that we have to make a difference by being the light, the salt. Many times, we will not fit in, or we will not allow ourselves to adapt, because the most important thing is not expectations or appearances, but the truth—the Word of God that never changes, that was, that is, and that will be.
The apostle Paul explains that through the power of the Spirit, believers should get rid of their old fleshly nature and live according to their new spiritual nature. This path of change leads to a holy way of life, for as Christians we are to be imitators of God. That is what the filling of the Spirit is all about. "Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Pet 1:16), and do not imitate the world, because if we do what the world does, we clothe ourselves like the world; we resemble the world.
Christians are not to be accomplices or companions in sinful practices. Unmasking these acts does not necessarily involve speaking evil or attacking those who do, but rather making God's truth shine through righteous, upright conduct, blameless testimony, and a lifestyle that contrasts with evil. You can rebuke an evil deed as long as you confront it with meekness, love, respect, seeking its restoration, not its humiliation, considering yourself, lest you too be tempted, as His word says.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 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. (Gal 5:19-21)
The acts of the flesh are very evident and clear—they cannot be hidden. As mature Christians in the faith, we must flourish in the Spirit and let ourselves be guided by Him, knowing that by our own strength we cannot do much, but we have the responsibility to fight daily against sin and depend totally on God. We recognize that as humans, fallen from Eden, our nature is inclined towards evil, towards selfishness and pleasures of this world. But the apostle Paul reminds us in his letter that we have spiritual weapons with which we can fight: "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes" (Eph 6:11).
We must search the Scriptures daily, just as we check our cell phones daily. Observe very carefully what we are feeding ourselves with: what we are watching, the music we are listening to, who we are spending time with, what we are reading, what testimony we are projecting. Are we being influenced, or are we influencing others? Are we differentiating ourselves from the world, or are we like chameleons camouflaging ourselves according to our environment? If so, we will not produce fruit.
Paul taught the Christians of Galatia how to enjoy freedom in Christ and not be enslaved by the effort to gain God's favor through religious observance or good works. True goodness does not come from personal effort, but from submitting to the Holy Spirit so that He can produce the fruit of righteousness in our daily lives.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20)
Let us long to be fertile ground and to be able to lead others to be fertile. Let us pray to God that we may sharpen iron with iron up close or at a distance.
