He Blesses us, Then We are Fruitful

"And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth." (Genesis 1: 22)

This verse is a perfect example of our Creator-God's good nature.

He blesses us first, then He tells us to be fruitful and multiply.

Never did God expect us to be holy, good, or fruitful through our own efforts. Never:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (Galatians 5: 22-23)

Paul writes about the fruit of the Spirit, not the works of the Spirit, or the works of the individual believer.

The Old Testament indicates how much God blesses us first:

"

1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:" (Genesis 12: 1-2)

 

Notice that God blessed Abram, them Abraham exceedingly before the Lord asked Abraham to do the following:

 

"1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:" (Genesis 22: 1-2)

 

The fruit of Abraham's obedience grew into fullness after years of the Lord blessing this father of faith, no matter how imperfect, that He could demonstrate His life through His servant.

 

Consider also what John writes:

 

"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4: 19)

 

He blesses and blesses in every way, too:

 

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" (2 Corinthians 9: 8)

 

Do not strive in the flesh to be obedience or to produce. Let God bless you at length, and then you will be fruitful:

 

"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)