Bearing fruit as a Christian
John 15:5-8 (NIV)
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers;
such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
I’ve seen watering and pruning and, of course, harvesting. But I have never yet seen a planter out in the field talking to the orange trees and telling them that they need to get busy having oranges.
Why? Because oranges are a natural result of healthy orange trees. In the same way, spiritual fruit is the natural result of a healthy Christian.
If your life is not producing fruit, it is a sign that something is wrong. Jesus tells us that if we abide in Him, if our hearts are fixed on Him and we are filling our minds and heart with His Word, we will bear fruit.
Here in California, we have wonderful oranges. As you drive through agricultural regions, you can see grove after grove of orange trees. Over the years I’ve seen a lot of work go into those orchards.
Jesus Himself said
Matthew 7:18-20.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
The evidence of being a Christian is Bearing good fruit
Romans 7:4-6.
So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that
we serve in the new way of the Spirit,
and not in the old way of the written code.
Have you died to what once bound you?
(the flesh and its sinful passions)
If not, what did your baptism in water symbolize?
Romans 8:5-9
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
The person living according to the flesh has a life in which the acts of the flesh are evident (this person is not a Christ follower because by definition a Christian has the Spirit of Christ)
The person walking in the realm of the Spirit has a life in which the fruit of the Spirit is evident.
Character is who you are.
Galatians 5:15-24.
So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Living as “a carnal Christian” is not an option if you want to get to heaven
PARA, EN & EPI
PARA (WITH YOU) - The Holy Spirit is with a person, even prior to conversion. He convicts them of sin (John 16:7-9) - and convinces them that Jesus is the Saviour.
EN (IN Y)OU - While ‘PARA’ is ‘with’ you (a coming alongside), ‘EN’ is living in you (John 14:16-17).
EPI (UPON YOU) - But there is a third relationship that a believer can have which is separate and distinct from the first two. (Acts 1:8)
There are 3 different Greek prepositions that describe our relationship with the Holy Spirit – ‘para’, ‘en’ and ‘epi.’
A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
John 14:16-17 (NIV)
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with (PARA) you and will be in (EN) you.
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in (EN) you, whom you have received from God?
When anyone calls on God to be saved, the Holy Spirit then comes INTO that person’s life. He is no longer just with or alongside.
Jesus Disciples receive THE HOLY SPIRIT on the evening of His resurrection
John 20:19-22.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again, Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me,
I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
This took place before Pentecost which was 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits, which was the day of Jesus Resurrection.
MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT
every believer has the Holy Spirit in them, who begins a sanctifying work in us by transforming us into the image of Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NIV) … God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
He brings conviction of sin to the Christian. He is a HOLY Spirit and is grieved when we sin:
Ephesians 4:30 (NIV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
PARA, EN & EPI
Pentecostals maintain that the EPI experience (baptism in the Holy Spirit) is a unique experience, which is distinct from the EN experience (salvation).
Acts 1:8 (NASB) “… but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon (EPI) you”
The word ‘EPI’ in the Greek means ‘upon’ or ‘over’.
This ‘EPI’ experience (baptism with the Holy Spirit) is the empowering of the believer for service to God. It generates an outward
flow of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39),
visible by both service and victory.
Godly Character
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by godly character:
Gal 5:16, 22-23 (NIV) So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh… But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
The evidence of being a Christian is bearing fruit
Fruitfulness is a result of us co-operating with the Spirit within us so that He can work out the character and nature of Christ in our lives. God has given us everything we need but we need to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling. If you were given a gold mine it takes hard work (diligence) to get the gold out God works in, but we must work out.
Philippians 2:13.
KJV.
For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
NLT.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Philippians2:1.2-13(NIV)
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:3-11
But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:3-11
1 Corinthians 3:12-15.
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved even though only as one escaping through the flames.
IF YOU AIM TO ONLY JUST MAKE IT TO HEAVEN,YOU MAY JUST MISS THE MARK!
Remember: Gavin’s example of the person who thought that they could drive within inches of the edge of the cliff!
Don’t think that I am preaching Salvation by works, Jesus living His life in and through us is our hope and security.
Romans 11:17-24.
If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
Romans 11:17-24.
Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
You must be grafted into the vine to bear fruit
Romans 10:1-4.
Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
We are not to try and work for our Salvation;
the first foundation doctrine for a Christian is Repentance
from dead works, the good works or fruit in our lives must
be a result of the indwelling Spirit of God
Ephesians 2:8-10.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and
this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works,
so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do.