Studies In Christianity

Principles of Fruitful Living Christian Living #2 Principles of Fruitful Living

Our previous lesson : Jesus is the vine The Christian is the branch God the Father is the vine dresser

A primary emphasis in the N.T. Matthew 7: 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Luke 3: 9 Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

This lesson will observe that the bearing of fruit : 1. Is a mark of having been born again. 2. Is a lifestyle, not an accomplishment. 3. Involves more than completing acts. 4. Will be a standard in the judgmemt.

I. Bearing fruit is a mark of salvation

John 15: 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; John 15: 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned

Matthew 7: 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they ? Matthew 7: 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. Matthew 7: 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 12: 33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35 The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.

Matthew 3: 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10 The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

II. Bearing fruit is a lifestyle not an accomplishment.

Revelation 22: 2 On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Jeremiah 17: 5 Thus says the Lord, Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant.

Jeremiah 1: 7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. 8 For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit. The one whose faith is deeply rooted in God does not depend on external circumstances to bear fruit.

Matthew 7: 24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.

Ephesians 5: 10 walk as children of Light …10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.   James 1: 21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. Receive ... Put aside ... Apply

more than completing acts. III. The bearing of fruit involves more than completing acts.

One can bear fruit by not doing some things. Mark 4: 18 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Mark 8: 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? Galatians 2: 20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;

Mark 4: 20 And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.

Psalms 92: 12 The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green, 15 To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him

IV. The bearing of fruit will be a standard of judgment.

Revelation 2: 10b Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. II Tim. 4: 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Matthew 7: 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Around this table we remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us

Jesus Christ offers... ...forgiveness of the past. ...purpose for the present. ...hope for the future.