THE FIRST COMMANDMENT: BEAR FRUIT

What was the very first covenant God gave to man after completing His creation?

He said:“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”(Genesis 1:28)

The word “fruit” is key.

From the very beginning, God established a divine principle:Life must bear fruit.Fruit is the evidence of life, the result of purpose, the continuation of what was planted. It is by the fruit that we discern the root.

Do you remember when Jesus came to a fig tree and found no fruit on it?He said, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”The next day, the tree had withered from the roots.To some, this may seem harsh—but it holds a profound truth:A life that bears no fruit begins to wither.

All throughout the Gospel, like a thread of scarlet, runs the theme of fruit—both spiritual and tangible.

Jesus said,"A good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit... By their fruits you will know them.”(Matthew 7:17–20)

To bear good fruit, we must learn to set godly priorities.Every day, you and I face choices.And every one of those choices becomes a seed—A seed that will grow into fruit.What kind of fruit will your life bear?

Let me give you a simple example:A child breaks a cup—how does the parent respond?With anger?With shouting, shame, and fear?Or with understanding?

You could explain gently what went wrong, help clean up the mess—Not just the pieces of the cup, but the fragile trust in a child’s heart.That moment becomes a seed too.And it can teach the child not to fear mistakes, but to grow from them.

So often, in the heat of anger, we make choices that leave marks lasting a lifetime.Why?Because we fail to tell the difference between the temporary and the eternal.

What fruit will come from that moment?What mark will be left on a child’s soul?

This is why so many today carry hidden wounds from their childhood—Wounds planted by those who were supposed to nurture.The mistakes of parents become the burdens of generations.

But praise God—Christ came to heal the broken and save the lost.

He doesn’t reject those who come to Him with pain.He comforts.He teaches.He leads.And most of all—He redeems.

With Him, you can grow again.With Him, you can be renewed.With Him, you can bear good fruit.

To live with Christ means to learn how to choose what is right.To forgive.To grow.To love.And to bear fruit—fruit that will last for eternity.

Amen.