As born again believers in Christ, the spirit man on the inside of us was created for the manifestation of the glory of God here on earth. When we are living in obedience to the words of Christ, then we are in the flow with God’s glory.
But for the glory of God to manifest through our lives, the spirit man on the inside of us needs to be developed as well, so that we may grow up into that image of Christ in us. Without the image of Christ in us, there is no glory of God in us.
As Apostle Paul pointed out:
“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Colossians 1:27 NKJV
Christ lives in us and He causes us to grow in love, as we become the doers of His word and His will here on earth. Everything that we live for and do on earth reflects the glory of God.
The word of God which dwells in us is what causes our spirit man to be developed, even as we grow up in bringing spiritual fruit to the glory of God.
Jesus said:
“…Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”
John 14:23-24 NIV
Our love for Jesus causes us to grow up spiritually, and to be established in the word of God. If we truly love Jesus, we will love His word also.
A believer in Christ who is not growing up, is like a tree which has been cut off from its own roots. He may be in Church, but he’s not spiritually connected with his root in Christ Jesus, because of his lack of obedience to the words of Jesus. It is the lack of love for the words of Jesus that disconnects a Christian from his root. Such a believer then begins to quietly drift away, from the lifestyle of obedience to God’s Word (the revealed Word of God).
But in actual fact it is normal for anyone who is born of God to grow up, to increase and to multiply in bearing spiritual fruit in glorifying God. The lack of fruitfulness in a believer in Christ, is a sign of spiritual immaturity. He remains a “spiritual baby”, with no evidence of spiritual growth or spiritual development. There are so many believers today on earth, who are suffering and struggling spiritually to be fruitful.
DON’T GET CUT OFF FROM YOUR FIRST LOVE
Jesus once used an analog in the Parable of the fig tree, to highlight what the fate of such a person looks like:
“Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”
Luke 13:6-9 NIV
A fig tree that bears no fruit at all will be eventually cut down. In the same manner a believer in Christ, who is not growing to bear spiritual fruit, will have to face the fate of the unfruitful fig tree. We need to understand that the devil is always working, to make sure that a believer’s spiritual life is unfruitful.
Love is the first manifestation of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us. When we are growing in love, we will grow in the word of God. When our love for Christ begins to wane, our desire to even read or study the scriptures flies away also.
It is absolutely impossible to separate God’s love from His word. Our word is who we are. People fall in love with one another everyday, because of their tested and trusted words to one another, which has impacted their lives together. Relationships are given birth to, developed and grows based on the spoken words of people to one another.
Our love for God begins, is being developed and grows, because of His revealed or spoken Word to us.
Words are very powerful. We fell in love with Jesus because of His spoken Word to us. We are able to keep loving Him and keep growing in Him, as long as we are abiding in His word. We are able to bear spiritual fruit because of the love that we have for His word.
When we quit loving His word, we will eventually get disconnected from His presence. We need His word and His love in us to stay connected with Him, and to keep bearing spiritual fruit in Him.
ITS YOUR OWN DECISION TO BE FRUITFUL; NOT GOD’S OR YOUR PASTOR’S
But spiritual fruit is what God expects from everyone of His children. Jesus had to curse a fig tree on one occasion (Mark 11:12-26), because it was not being fruitful. It was not yet the season for bearing fruit, but Jesus still expected fruit from it. In the same manner God expects us as Christians, to start bearing spiritual fruit from the very moment when we got saved. From that moment of our salvation, we received the desire for the things of His Kingdom. Whether we develop and grow with those desires, is absolutely up to us.
Every living thing that God creates is meant to be fruitful and multiply. A tree serves its purpose in creation for all humanity. We were never created for the trees; but the trees were created for us.
By cursing the fig tree Jesus exercised spiritual authority over a created thing. He also showed us in doing this, that we also do have the same authority over every created thing on earth.
Jesus expected to find fruit on the fig tree, because that was what the fig tree was created for – to bear fruit. In this Parable of Jesus an unfruitful tree typifies an unfruitful Christian.
Jesus in this encounter with the fig tree did what ought to always be done, in every manifestation of the works of satan to hinder our spiritual fruitfulness. If a believer in Christ is not bearing spiritual fruit; that believer is not growing spiritually. The works of satan to hinder spiritual fruitfulness in that believer, has to be stopped first, for the believer to start bearing fruit.
And in stopping the works of satan, prayers may sometimes not even be enough. In many instances there has to be some degree of commitment to the Kingdom of God by the believer in Christ. We can say words in prayers, but it is really our degree and level of commitment to the Kingdom of God, that terrifies the devil and his demons. How committed are you today, in your love walk with Jesus? Don’t just say that you love Jesus, but show your commitment to Him by beginning to obey and live by His word (Luke 4:4).
As Christians we are in a loving covenant relationship with God. We are never to break this covenant with God. We are covenant keepers, and not covenant breakers. Our covenant with God in Christ Jesus is an everlasting one. An unchangeable covenant. When we entered into this covenant with Him, we gave our word, our promise to love Him and love His word.
We need to note here that in cursing the fig tree, Jesus never wasted any time at all with it. He cursed the tree, and just moved on to more important things. As Christians we do not engage in conversations with satan and his demons. We don’t have time for all of that nonsense with them. We had been called into God’s Kingdom, to bind them and cast them out. And that’s what satan and his hosts do understand, about us as Christians. They don’t mess around with anyone who clearly understands that heavenly principle here on earth.
God never created anyone or anything on earth to be unfruitful. The mandate that was given to Adam and Eve at creation, was for them to increase and multiply in replenishing the earth. That mandate from God has never changed for every human being on earth.
No believer in Christ is called to be a bench warmer in Church either. That’s why every Christian ought to be getting involved, in doing something within their local congregations. This is the sure way to begin bearing spiritual fruit in God’s Kingdom.
King Solomon wrote that:
“A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.”
Proverbs 18:16 NKJV
It is by doing something that anything we do brings development and growth. No business man sits down in the office without doing something, and expects his business to grow. Also an employee that does nothing at work, is unproductive to the employer. He doesn’t get promotion by doing nothing at work. Every promotion has to be justifiable, through the works done by the employee.
The same thing happens in our attitude towards the things of God’s Kingdom. We can’t call ourselves part of Christ’s body, while we are not being actively involved within our local body of Christ. An active faith brings spiritual growth. Spiritual fruitfulness also comes, when we are involved in doing something for the Lord within His Kingdom. God causes His blessing to fall on what we are doing in the Kingdom. That’s how spiritual growth not only comes, but promotion within God’s Kingdom into greater things, comes as a result of this.
We all do have a part to play in the building of the Kingdom of God here on earth (Ephesians 4:11-16). Every one of us ought to be involved in one thing, or another in building God’s Kingdom here on earth. There is no spectator in the Kingdom of God. We are all participants. Have you discovered your role yet? This is the reason why spiritual fruitfulness is essential, for the spiritual growth or spiritual development of any Christian.
WHY NOT START NOW TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?
If God has to put His search light into our lives, He surely does expects to see nothing but spiritual fruitfulness and growth (Luke 18:8). If as a Christian you are still struggling with a sinful lifestyle habit, then you really need to watch out. This unfortunately happens to be the major hindrance to spiritual fruitfulness and growth among Christians. But God’s search light will eventually come, at a time or season that no one knows.
The scriptures says:
“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
I Peter 4:17-18 NKJV
We can’t determine when God will come to judge sin in humanity, but He will always give us warning signs, to put our lives in order before showing up. And often times many had missed eternity, by ignoring God’s warning signs. It does not have to be that way, when in fact we can do something about it now.
We need to know that our Heavenly Father is a loving God. He will always manifest Himself to us in love, with mercy, kindness and in His goodness; even in judging sinful mankind. That’s why He is so full of long suffering with regards to the way, that He deals with a backsliding Christian (Romans 10:21).
He understands that we are humans. But He is so full of compassion, that can never fail. It is in the nature of His compassion towards us, to give us an opportunity, in reasoning things out together with Him, before acting in doing something about any backsliding lifestyle.
God uses the spirit man inside us as His search light into our hearts. He judges the hearts of men, but He does knows that satan is the originator of sin in mankind. God is not mad with sinful humanity, but He will always appeal to the hearts of men to change ways, before coming with his judgement of sin in mankind.
The Scriptures says:
“The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.”
Proverbs 20:27 NKJV
We definitely can’t hide or run away from the One, who created and formed us in the mother’s womb. God knows everything about every human being on earth. You may chose to ignore the giant in your life, that is making you unfruitful now. Or you may be living for the day of God’s judgement to come on that giant of sin in your heart.
God’s judgment of that giant may be too tough for you to bear. Many have died under the weight of that judgment. The scriptures says:
“It is a fearful and terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God [incurring His judgment and wrath].”
HEBREWS 10:31 AMP
The choice in decision making is your own. It is not up to God, your Preachers, your friends or your relatives.
DECIDE TO CHANGE NOW IN BEING FRUITFUL
Are you struggling with sin in your life right now, that are making you spiritually unfruitful? You can always go to God in prayer, and talk with Him about it. You will be surprised that, He is more interested in every details of your life, than anyone else does.
He said:
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 1:18-20 NIV
We will all have to answer before Him one day, for the kind of lifestyle that we are living while here on earth. But it may be too late if you will have to wait until that time comes. Eternity is always there before us in a moment, that is faster than light. But we can decide now where we will spend it. With God or with the devil! The choice is yours. You can decide now to change and start bearing spiritual fruit to glorify Him.
Now take some time to talk with God alone, about the struggles of your life, that are hindering your spiritual growth or spiritual development. After that you may click on this link to our website, and read out loud a short prayer that has been designed to help you out. You now have the opportunity to start bearing spiritual fruit.
Let us know that you have read the prayer out loudly by using this contact form. We will like to connect you with Christians in the neighborhood where you live, who can stand with you as you start bearing spiritual fruit. Welcome into the family of God. You are loved and you are blessed. What a way to begin the new year – 2018.
