What can I do for God?

It is an amazing fact that the Bible teaches that every Christian can be like Christ! So a key aim for every Christian must be to abide in Christ, John 15. 4. When we are in tune with our Saviour, we will be like Him and the result will be that we produce the ‘fruit of the Spirit’, Gal. 5. 22. Every Christian will be like Christ in eternity, but we should regularly ask the question ‘how could I be more like Him now?’

What is it?

• Fruitfulness is Christ-likeness.
• It happens when the Holy Spirit is allowed to control us, Gal. 5. 16 and we ‘Abide in Him’, John 15. 2.
• Some of this may be seen only by God.

Why should we be fruitful?

• The Lord Jesus perfectly displayed the fruit of the Spirit, and Christlikeness is God’s key purpose for us in salvation, Rom. 8. 29.
• It is the inevitable result of allowing the Spirit of God to work in our lives.
• Others will see an obvious divine power at work in our lives.

How can we be fruitful?

by living out the truth of Galatians chapter 5 verses 22-23

Love: giving sacrificially to others (even those we think are undeserving) irrespective of the response.

Joy: heavenly rejoicing and ‘holy hope that perseveres.

Peace: a tranquil serenity coming from contentment in the will of God. 

Longsuffering: endurance under provoking circumstances. The word is literally ‘long tempered’ - no Christian should be known for having a ‘short fuse’.

Kindness: tender compassion in our actions.

Goodness: acting for the good of others, even when difficult action is required.

Faithfulness: personal reliability, and also not doubting God.

Gentleness (meekness): the ability to be powerful without arrogance; lowly while inwardly strong (see the example of Moses in Numbers chapter 12 verse 3 and the Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter 11 verse 29).

Self control: disciplined lives – just as athletes exercise self control in their relationships, food intake, and other desires so that they don’t interfere with their training, 1 Cor. 9. 25. 

We may find some of these things harder to practise than others. However, showing just part of the fruit (singular) of the Spirit is like being an orange with segments missing. God working in someone’s life will produce a balanced character!

Practical advice

• A garden neglected produces weeds. Fruitfulness in our lives will take deliberate, hard work.
• What we ‘sow’ and ‘feed’ will grow: our minds must be filled with the word of God and prayer, Gal. 6. 7-8.
• What we fail to ‘weed’ will grow: removing sin, spiritual hindrances, and time/energy wasters is an endless, but essential task, 2 Tim. 2. 3-4; Heb. 12. 1.

The promise of the Lord Jesus is for every Christian: ‘He that abides in Me and I in Him, bears much fruit’ John 15. 5. 

yps.