The Original Fruit-Producer
Exodus 29:37b Everyone who comes in contact of the altar will be holy.
Exodus 29:42b There I will meet you and speak to you.
Exodus 29:45 Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.
2 Corinthians 4:15 All this is for your benefit so that the grace that is spreading widely through the many, exceedingly thankful, resulting in the glory of God.
Holiness and glory go hand in hand. Producing fruit glorifies the Father, but without holiness, the quality of fruit might look a little rotten. “Holiness” causes one to rise about the broken, human condition; holiness is the state of being separate from that common, broken condition. Training disciples seek to imitate this state of holiness that was modeled originally by Jesus, but holiness was first born with the construction of the altar of the tabernacle, the place where God would meet with and speak with and dwell among the Israelites. Those who have a touch of the altar will be found ‘holy.’ Which came first, the holiness in order to touch the altar, or the holiness after the touch? Questions are important, and this topic is very interesting, but it’s important to ask the right questions, questions that will bring solution to current life experience.
1 Peter 1:15 “You will be holy as I am holy.” Peter quotes the holiness of the Old Testament. Holiness has been a concept as foreign and obscure as the Old Testament altar but only because the topic hasn’t been fully explored. Holiness, being separate from the common condition, is pure and righteous as well, according to the Greek Lexicon. The world contaminates and diminishes holiness. To be worldly at all in thoughts, words and actions snuffs out holiness and therefore, bringing glory to God is only a wish.
A right question to ask is, “How excessively thankful am I for God’s Grace?” or, “Were it not for God’s Grace, where would I be?” Another good question, “How can I repay God for His Grace in my life?” Jesus gave the answer, which is found in John 15:8 “In this my Father is glorified, that you produce much fruit, thus becoming my disciples.”
Jesus glorified His Father, producing spirit fruit right on up to the end, walking a strong walk of Compassion, going an enormously long second mile, starting from the Garden of Gethsemane to the cross on the opposite hill, producing fruit of generous concern (agape) for the world and clemency for the sinners and self-restraint for Himself. He walked a steady walk of Justice, endlessly shining a light that will never go out, producing nothing but goodness. How about that firm walk of Mercy, turning the other cheek and rejoicing in persecution, producing loads of faithfulness. He walked a mystifying walk of Humility, praying in private to His Father for acquittal and yet willing to be the reconciling sacrifice for sins, once for all, so much so that even the enemies could feel how He valued them, producing kindness like the world had never seen. The joy that He produced is what sustained Him on the cross, and an unswerving walk of Righteousness produced peace as He agonized through that ever so narrow gate, storing up every bit of treasure in heaven. His Walk became Truth itself as He fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant, the lamb-to-the-slaughter, producing benevolence befitting this Lamb.
Certainly, a tough act to follow, but the invitation isn’t to follow, rather to imitate; renounce the self to take on His Walk, raise a suffering cross of my own to imitate the original Fruit-Producer. It doesn’t get any better than that. No, really, it doesn’t.
