“A tree is known by its fruits.” Should there be a tree bearing promiscuously throughout apples, pears, peaches, plums, grapes, etc., who could tell what kind of a tree it was? Should it bear apples alone we at once know the kind of tree. All sin is therefore purged away from the heart of a Christian that he may be “filled with the fruits of righteousness,” and be known as a light in the world. Sin and righteousness do not grow upon the same tree. How clearly and plainly this is taught in the sixth chapter of Romans. Except they be blinded by prejudice and false teaching all the world must understand this. Verse eighteen says, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” There are two things plainly taught in this text that we wish to call your attention to. First, to become a servant of righteousness necessitates a freedom from sin. “Ye can not serve two masters.” Second, this experience of being made free from sin and becoming servants of righteousness the Roman brethren had received some time in the past. “Ye became the servants of righteousness.” Ver. 20. “For when some time in their past life ye were the servants of sin ye were free from righteousness.” In the face of these two texts how can man be so daring and proud and self-conceited as to teach the impossibility of Christians living a pure and sinless life in this world? Surely, there is no fear of God before their eyes. Verse eighteen declares that to become servants of righteousness necessitates freedom from sin; and verse twenty declares that to be a “servant of sin” necessitates freedom from righteousness. “What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?” Ver. 21. Of the things of sin they once engaged in they are now ashamed. “What fruit had they then?” Ans.—“No fruit of righteousness.” “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness.” Ver. 22. Praise God! You must be made free from sin to be capable of bearing fruit unto holiness or righteousness. The fruit of the righteous is to the praise and glory of God. The Lord makes use of the fruit of the righteous to induce sinners to seek him. In this way the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. How blessed and noble to be a tree planted by the river of waters richly laden with righteous fruit. Amen. Redemption. The authors of the dictionaries define the word _redemption_ as “the act of deliverance, release, repurchase,” etc. The redemption through Christ is the deliverance or repurchase of man. Man in his original, primeval state enjoyed unity and an affinity with God. Because of transgression on the part of man this natural agreement between God and man was destroyed. All creation—herb, and tree, beast and fowl, and man—was pronounced very good by the Creator as he beheld it in review after creation. Gen. 1:29-31.