Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

  • Jalen Lands,
    Renew Church, Baton Rouge
  • Nate Reno,
    Renew Church, Baton Rouge
  • Alton Pecanty,
    First Baptist Vidalia
  • About
  • Contact
  • Archives
  • John 3:16
  • Louisiana
  • U.S.
  • Intl.
  • Culture
  • Commentary

Greg Laurie

The evidence of discipleship

April 16, 2018

By Greg Laurie

“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

—John 15:8

Spiritual fruit doesn’t grow overnight. You don’t go into your backyard, pull up a chair in front of your peach tree, and then wait for the peaches to grow. (You could, but you wouldn’t see anything.) However, if you were to set up a camera with time-lapse photography, you would see dramatic growth over a period of time.

Jesus said, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8 NKJV). If you are truly a disciple of Jesus, then you will have spiritual fruit in your life. That means results. It means evidence. One of the first things we do as Christians is produce what Jesus called “fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8 NKJV).

For example, maybe your friend says, “Let’s go get a drink after work.”

“I don’t do that anymore.”

“What? You don’t do that anymore? What’s wrong with you?”

“It isn’t what’s wrong with me; it’s what’s right with me,” you say. “Christ has come into my life.”

People know you by the fruit of your repentance. You stopped doing some things and started doing godly things instead. That intrigues them and also perplexes them. As disciples of Jesus, we should be known by our repentance.

A change in your conduct is spiritual fruit. Galatians 5:22–23 says, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (NKJV).

Giving praise and thanks to God is a way of bearing fruit. We are told in Hebrews 13:15, “By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (NKJV). When we sing praises to God, that is bringing forth fruit.

Can people see spiritual fruit in your life?

Greg Laurie is pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. This editorial first appeared in his daily devotional, which can be accessed here.

Comments

Search

Search
Generic filters
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Search in excerpt
Search in comments
Filter by Custom Post Type

Editorial

A prayer for President Trump

By Steve Horn In our church, First Baptist Church, Lafayette, we have each week a prayer focus called This One Thing. We encourage our entire church to be focused on this one thing of prayer for an entire week. This week, we have asked our church, in the spirit of Presidents’ Day on Monday, to pray for … Continue Reading.

Widgets In Tabs

  • Trending

    • Life movement marches on in Louisiana
    • Louisiana College quits CCCU over LGBT policy
    • What Bible version do pastors like best?
    • New poll: state overwhelmingly supports life
    • OPEN LETTER: Russell Moore does not represent me, a Black Christian
    • MBTS, SEBTS, SBTS profs resign amid moral failure, spiritual issues, and silence
  • Recent

    Tim Tebow explains why his new movie isn’t a ‘cookie cutter’ Christian film

    Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Will Graham shares the Gospel with 100,000 in the Philippines

    New study suggests carbs might help you live longer

    LC Convergence Media students make mark at the 2019 SEJC Competition:

    Pro-life group to project live, 4-D ultrasound in Times Square: ‘It’s a child and we want everyone to see it’

    Times Square billboard calls out Ocasio-Cortez over failed NYC-Amazon deal

  • Must Read

    LC Convergence Media students make mark at the 2019 SEJC Competition:

    LC’s enrollment continues to climb

    NFL veteran & wife make ultrasound gift to New Orleans

    Georgia Barnette Offering down, church planting to stay up

    Bossier agreement protects students’ religious rights

    TRUMP: Unborn reflect the image of God

Copyright © 2019 by The Baptist Message · Built by Megaphone Designs