A Free Grace Understanding of Fruit vs. Works

Notice that I didn't say faith vs. works. I'm going to discuss fruit verses works.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience..." (Galatians 5:22, ESV).

Outline:

I. A Key Statement: "Every Christian will bear spiritual fruit. Somewhere, sometime, somehow. Otherwise that person is not a believer. Every born-again individual will be fruitful. Not to be fruitful is to be faithless, without faith, and therefore without salvation." (Charles Ryrie, So Great Salvation, 1989 edition, p. 45.)

II. "Fruit" is the more general category; "works" is the more specific category or classification.

    -- There can be some overlap.

    -- Think of fruit and works like two circles somewhat overlapping.

    -- Fruit can include works, but fruit is also spiritual qualities such as: love, joy, peace.

    -- All good works done by means of the Spirit are fruit, but not all fruit are good works.

    -- Some fruits are spiritual qualities such as the fruit of the Spirit.

    -- And not all good works are fruit; some apparent good works get burned up as worthless! 

    -- From a moral standpoint, good works can also be done by unbelievers.

III. Areas where there may be overlap and thus confusion:

A. Matthew 3:8 - "Bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance."
    -- Referring to spiritual fruit working itself out unto good works (cf. Lk. 3:8-14).

    -- Compare Luke 15:7, 10. Joy and rejoicing in heaven = fruit!

B. Matthew 7:16 - "You will know them by their fruits."
    -- This fruit is outward, discernible, and recognizable.

    -- In context, "their fruits" refers to the false prophets' teachings.

    -- See The Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Moody Press, 1968), p. 941.

    -- Cf. Matthew 16:5-12, particularly verse 12.

C. John 15:8 - "Bear much fruit and thus prove to be My disciples."
     -- Examples include keeping Christ's commandments (15:10) and "joy" (15:11).

D. Parable of the soils (Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15)
     -- Some seed bears much fruit; this likely includes good works.

IV. Good works can be done by believers and unbelievers alike!
      -- Thus not all "good works" are fruit. Notice the following examples:

    A.) Isaiah 64:6 - "All our righteous deeds are like filthy rags."

          -- This is referring to a legal or moral external righteousness (cf. Rom. 3:20).

    B.) Matthew 7:22 - "Lord, Lord, did we not do many wonderful works?" 

    C.) Titus 3:5 - "Not by works of righteousness which we have done."

          -- Compare Philippians 3:9.

V. Clear Scriptures pertaining specifically either to fruit or works

    A.) Fruit

         1. Luke 8:13 - The seed which fell on the rocky soil are those who "receive the word with joy."
             -- Compare Mark 4:16. 

             -- Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:22).

             -- These people are saved because only a believer can have the fruit of the Spirit.

             -- The unsaved do not have the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9; Gal. 4:6).

         2. Romans 5:1 - "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God."

             -- This is true of all believers! Thus all believers have at least the fruit of "peace".

             -- John Calvin writes: "we have peace with God; and this is the peculiar fruit of the righteousness of faith." 

             -- See Calvin's Commentary on Romans, commentary on Romans 5:1.

         3.  Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience," etc.

     B.) Works

          1. Of The Saved:

              a.) 1 Corinthians 3:15 - "If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss..."
                   -- No good works stand the test, but the person is still saved! 

                   -- "But he himself will be saved, yet so as by fire" (1 Cor. 3:15b).

              b.) Revelation 3:1 - "I know your works...but you are dead."
                   -- This is spoken to believers! (See Revelation 3:2-3; cf. Eph. 5:14; Ja. 2:17.)
                   -- So believers can have an utter lack of goods works and still be saved.

         2. Of The Unsaved:

             a.) Matthew 7:22 - "Lord, Lord, did we not do many wonderful works in your name?"
                  -- These people thought they had Lordship salvation, but they were deceived!

                  -- They never did the will of the Father by believing in Christ (cf. Jn. 6:28-29).

                  -- Unbelievers can do wonderful works in the Lord's name.

                  -- Unbelievers can do outwardly good things, but they remain unsaved.

VI. Conclusion:

      A.) All believers have spiritual fruit (Rom. 5:1).

      B.) Not all believers necessarily have good works (1 Cor. 3:15).

     C.) Some believers could have no good works and still make it to heaven!

           -- This is because eternal life is a free gift, not a reward (Rom. 6:23).

           -- The Bible says, "heaven is free" (Gal. 4:26, Worldwide English NT).

           -- Also see Revelation 22:17.

     D.) Salvation by grace is apart from works! 

           -- "For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works" (Rom. 3:28, NASB).