In the last few weeks, we have learned about revival and what we must do to ensure that true revival is ignited in our hearts. Revival does not start one church at a time. It starts with every individual. The Bible describes being in a state of revival as being like a tree planted by rivers of living water, bearing fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither. (Ps 1:3)
Without revival, there can be no reformation for reformation is the fruit of revival. Jesus described Himself as the vine and all who believe in Him as the branches. We cannot have true revival if we are not maintaining a continual connection with Jesus Christ, the True Vine. We cannot produce the fruit of reformation apart from Him. (John 15:1-9)
What is reformation? Gal 5:22 describes for us what the fruit of reformation looks like. It is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance and not desiring vainglory. In summary, it is the character of godliness, the character of Christ.
God’s mission in each of our lives is to restore the perfection of the image of Christ in each of us. This was the image that we were created to reflect in the beginning for we were created “in the image of God.” The process He follows in order to achieve this is “reformation” and the results of that process is the fruit of the Spirit which is the beauty of His character revealed in mortal flesh. (Gen 1:26-27)
Jesus said in Jn 4:14 that whoever drinks of the living water He gives shall never thirst for the water He provides will become a wellspring of living water springing forth unto eternal life. Jesus is restoring the “tree of life” in each of us who believe in Him and out of that tree will spring the fruit of reformation, which the world will taste and they will see that our God is good. (Ps 34:8)
The Bible describes the tree of life in Rev 22:2 as being “on either side of the river” and bearing “twelve manner of fruits and yielding fruit every month.” Does this not remind you of what God wants you to be right now? A tree planted by the living water bearing fruit all year round! The twelve different fruits reflect the completeness of the character of Christ, the image that He is recreating in us as we journey through life. The tree of life in Heaven is also a visual reminder, the culmination of a process that God has started in you today! Phil 1:6 reminds us that God is well able to finish the good work that He has started in each of us and bring it to a grand completion.
