Page 79 - Fundamentals 7 ebook 1-16-19_Neat
P. 79
everything and you can’t ask a question that he can’t answer,
but the description is larger. It says that he has all faith so that
he can move mountains, literally. This is an amazing person.
And there is more. It describes his surrender. It says that he
took everything he had, sold it and gave it to the poor. That’s
amazing. He’s not finished. Then he gave his own body as a
martyr to be burned. What kind of surrender is that? He speaks
with the tongues of angels, he knows every mystery, he knows
everything about everything and he has faith to move mountains
and he surrenders everything he has and gives it to the poor and
then he gives his body to be burned. How does the Holy Spirit
describe him? He’s described as being like a noisy gong; a
cymbal. And it says that he profits nothing. God says that he
didn’t have love.
Love is the fruit of the Spirit. He did all those things but he
didn’t have love. Those were wonderful works but they weren’t
fruit. The house built on the sand did not have a foundation.
The difference between works and fruit is the source of works
or fruit. What is the origin of all that display? Does it come
from man or does it come from the Lord?
If it comes from the Lord it’s called “fruit”. If it comes from
man it’s called “works”. It’s like law and grace. Law is what I
do. Grace is what God does. We want to study fruit. It’s true
that there are a couple of exceptions. That is, sometimes works
and fruit look so much alike that you can change the words.
Like Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before men in such a
way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
who is in heaven.” That they may see your good works; but
those works are fruit. So, sometimes works and fruit are the
same. James 2:26, “For just as the body without the spirit is
dead, so also faith without works is dead.” Faith without works
is dead. Sometimes, not often, works can be fruit.
I love Hosea 14:8, “O Ephraim, what more have I to do with
idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like a