By Rev. David S. Calcagno
Senior Pastor of Christian Life Church
As born again, Spirit-filled believers, we are to be bring forth fruit in our lives. The kind of fruit that brings glory and honor to the Father. Fruit that shows evidence of a Christ-likness in our characters and conduct in life. The world is looking for people who are different from all the rest. They are looking for people who can be trusted, a people who have integrity, a people who will honor their word and follow through with their commitments. This is the kind of people we as Christians should be. A people who don't need to say that they are Christians, because their very character and life-style portrays a Christ-likeness. We should be showing the rest of the world that they can trust us, that they can depend on us. But, how will they be able to? By our fruit!
Matthew 7:15-20 - “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Now of course we know that Jesus is talking about false prophets and false ministers who come to decieve people with false teaching, and the kind of fruit that they produce in their own lives. But, I would like to draw your attention to something to what Jesus was saying here. If we are able to know them by their fruits. How are we known? What kind of fruit are we producing in our lives as believers in Christ Jesus? When people in our churches, on our jobs, and in our communities take a bite into our lives, is the fruit that we are producing refreshing to their taste or bitter? I submit to you today that we as born-again Christians are also known by the fruit that we produce. People will know you and I by the kind of fruit that we live before them. You may ask, "What kind of fruit is Jesus talking about here?" He's talking about life-style, he's talking about character.
How to become good ground, in order to produce the right kind of fruit:
Mark 4:18-20 - Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Notice what causes unfruitfulness in ones life. The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things other than the things of God, the Kingdom of God and the will of God for our lives. When we put other things first before our relationship and fellowship with the Father we cut ourselves off from the source of life.
John 15:4, 5 - Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Notice what Jesus said here, As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. So in order to produce the kind of fruit that glorifies God, one of the things we must do is stay connected to the vine, the source of life.
Another thing we must do to become good ground and produce the kind of fruit that glorifies God is, ". . . hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”(Mark 4:20). We must hear the Word of God, and accept what we hear. The way we accept the Word is by doing what we hear. James 1:22 tells us to "be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
So in order for us to produce the kind of fruit that glorifies the Father we must 1) stay connected to the Father in relationship and fellowship through devotion with His Word, times of communication through prayer, and fellowshiping and worshipping with other believers. 2) hear the Word and accept it by applying what you hear to your life no matter how inconvenient it may be at the time.
"We as born-again Christians we are known
by the kind of fruit that we produce in our lives. People will know you
and I by the fruit that we live before them." - Rev. David S. Calcagno
By doing this, Matthew 5:16 will come to pass in your life. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works (or your fruit) and glorify your Father in heaven.
When we let our light shine people are going to see the kind of fruit that you are producing in your life and they are going to be drawn to the Father because of the fruit in your life. CLC
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