How Do We Get Rooted!

As noted on the previous page, the key to the tree's success is it's root system.

Christians also have a root system.   We are planted "in Christ".    Christ is the great "I Am".   He is the sustainer of life.   He is living Water.    He is the bread of life.   So, because we are in Christ,  we have life,  even in a barren world.

In contrast, unbelievers do not have a root system.     They are not in Christ, so when the drought comes and the storms surge, they die.  

So, how do we go from being not rooted in Christ to being rooted in Christ?

Step 1:   Realize you are a sinner.

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:10-12

“None is righteous, no, not one;

no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

Step 2:   Realize God is holy and hates sin, so He punishes sin.    Because you are a sinner, you deserve death.

Romans 6:23   

For the wages of sin is death

Unbelievers are separated from Christ, not only now, but for all eternity.   Revelations speaks of a lake of fire as an eternal consequence for unbelievers.

Revelation 20:15:

And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Beloveds, I pray that none of you or our descendants experience hell for all eternity, although we deserve it!

Step 3:   Realize that God loves you and wants you to have life, not death, so He sent His son to die in your place.   

Romans 5:8

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

And not only did He die for you, but he was buried and he was raised on the third day (I Cor 15:3-6),  so that anyone who believes in Him, will not perish but have eternal life.  (John 3:16)

Just to know and believe these facts is not enough.    These last two steps are the means for being rooted in Christ.

Steps 4 and 5:     Repent, and by faith, receive Him as your Savior.

Repent:   Turn from your sin to God.

Acts 3:19

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out....

By Faith:   Receive Him as your Savior: 

John 1
To those who receive him to them he gives the right to become children of God.


Revelation 3:20 
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him"

Beloveds, if you have not already, turn from your sin and by faith run into the arms of your Savior.   He is waiting for you. 

You can do that through prayer:
Admit you are a sinner, deserving hell.  Thank Him for coming to die in your place, and ask Him to be your Savior, your Lord, and your King.    Surrender your life in full.   


When you genuinely repent and by faith receive Christ, you are "in Christ", permanently.    You are rooted in Him for all eternity.

The Fruitful Christian Will Be Rewarded For His Faithfulness

Finally, one day, fruitful Christians will be rewarded.

Yes, when we take God's word seriously, when we get serious about bearing fruit, we will be rewarded.

Revelation 14:13:

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”


Beloveds, rest is coming!    But, until it comes, we must labor diligently.   We must bear fruit while we can.     Jesus told his disciples:



John 9:4

We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

So, don't wait to labor for the Lord.   Bear fruit now.  Night is coming, and then it will be too late.


If I precede you in death (and I hope I do), I hope to hear God say to each of you upon your arrival in heaven,

Matthew 25:21

‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Hallelujah!

The Fruitful Christian Uses His Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are the means God uses to empower you to bear much fruit.    When the Holy Spirit comes to reside in our hearts, He gives us gifts. All Christians are given gifts, yet not all Christians use them.    When we do use our spiritual gifts, it's a sign of maturity.  

The gifts are a supernatural ability empowered by the Holy Spirit.    Their purpose is to bring God glory and build His church.     And let's be clear,  these gifts are not for us.   They are not about us.   They are for God's glory and for God's church alone.  

The gifts are many.   Here are some:  prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, generosity, leading, mercy, evangelism.  

Each gift is used in various ways and to various degrees, according to God's sovereign plan.    Billy Graham preached the Gospel to millions.   Some preachers will only preach to hundreds.   You may only preach to a few.    One is not more important than the other.   Our job is to be faithful to God's plan for our lives.

Beloveds, my prayer is that you will fan into flame the gifts God has given you, so that you may bear fruit for all eternity.    (2 Timothy 1:6)      Not for your glory, but for His glory alone.


I Peter 4:10-11
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God (utterances in the NAS); whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.  To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.


Romans 12:3-8
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity;the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

The Fruitful Christian Wins Souls

 Proverbs 11:30

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

and whoever captures souls is wise.

If our attitudes, our deeds, and our words are fruitful, we will be as a tree of life to a barren world
Just like the tree in Bahrain, we will be an attraction to all those whom God is drawing to
Himself.

While in college, I was captivated by two Christian women in my sorority.    The sorority was
probably 180 strong, but those two young ladies stood out.   I would watch them from a
distance.   They talked differently and they lived differently.   The fruit of the Spirit oozed out of their lives so much that you wanted to be near them.

Like a magnet, God was using them to draw me away from the world and into His kingdom.

May God's fruit be so real, so ripe in our lives, that God will use us to capture souls.   Just like
 He captured me.

The Fruitful Christian's Speech

Proverbs 10:11    The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life.

Beloveds, like a flowing fountain, our speech should give life to those around us.     Wisdom, grace, and truth should flow freely from our mouths.

Proverbs 13:14

The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,

that one may turn away from the snares of death.

Proverbs 15:4

A gentle tongue is a tree of life,

but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Beloveds, in order to have fruitful speech, one thing is needful:   our hearts and minds must be saturated with the Word of God.......

Luke 6:45

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Therefore, daily eat the Word of God.   Delight in it, so that it might spring up and overflow into the lives around you.  




May your words provide shade for the weary, food for the hungry, and water for the thirsty.

Matthew Henry:
 A man may do a great deal of good, or a great deal of hurt, both to others and to himself, according to the use he makes of his tongue. 

The Fruitful Christian Engages in Good Deeds

A fruitful Christian is a servant, willing and available to meet pressing needs.   

Titus 3:14

"Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful."

Doing good deeds is usually a sacrifice and sometimes it's even hard.   It means laying down our lives, and our selfish ambition for the good of others and the good of the church.     

Jesus did this well!

Phil 2:3-8 shows us:

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Examples of good deeds are endless.    It can be as simple as taking a meal to a sick family or as complex as crossing the ocean to encourage missionaries.    It can be serving in the nursery or giving money to the poor.    Whatever the deed, God's grace is sufficient and He will give you an abundance of grace for every good deed.

Why does God command us to be zealous for good deeds?  Because it identifies us as His servants to those around us.

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Beloveds, seek to bring God glory by meeting pressing needs, so that you may not be unfruitful.

He will reward you.     

Matthew 25:40
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

   

The Fruitful Christian's Attitude

Godly attitudes in all circumstances of life is imperative to bearing fruit.    So, what are godly attitudes?    Galations 5 shows us.

Galations 5:22-24

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

These godly attitudes should characterize all who are in Christ.   And not only should they be present in the good times (that's easy), but they should be present in the bad times as well.    

The John McArthur study Bible offers helpful insights:  

Love:   "agape, is the love of choice, referring not to an emotional affection, physical attraction, or a familial bond, but to respect, devotion, and affection that leads to willing self-sacrificial service".  (Jn 15:13; Ro 5:8; I Jn 3:16,17)

Joy:  "A happiness based on God's unchanging promises.   It is the sense of well being experienced by one who knows all is well between himself and the Lord (I Pe 1:8).   Joy is not the result of favorable circumstances, and even occurs when those circumstances are the most painful and severe.  (Ro 14:17; Php 4:4)

Peace:  "The inner calm that results from confidence in one's saving relationship with Christ.   The verb form denotes binding together and is reflected in the expression "having it all together."   Like joy, peace is not related to one's circumstances (Jn 14:27; Ro 8:28; Php 4:6, 7, 9)."

Patience:   The ability to endure injuries inflicted by others and the willingness to accept irritating or painful situations (Eph 4:2; Col 3:12; I Ti 1:15, 16).

Kindness:  Tender concern for others, reflected in a desire to treat others gently, just as the Lord treats all believers (Mat 11:28,29; 19:13,14; 2 Ti 2:24).

Goodness:  Moral and spiritual excellence manifested in active kindness (Ro 5:7).  Believers are commanded to ex-emplify goodness (6:10; 2 Th 1:11) .  

Faithfulness.   Loyalty and trustworthiness (La 3:22; Php 2:7-8; I Th 5:24; Rev 2:10)

Gentleness:  Better translated "meekness."  It is a humble and gentle attitude that is patiently submissive in every offense while having no desire for revenge or retribution.  In the NT, it is used to describe 3 attitudes:   submission to the will of God (Col3:12), teachability (Jas 1:21), and consideration of others (Eph 4:2).

Self-Control:  This refers to restraining passions and appetites (I Cor 9:25; 2 Pe 1:5,6).

Please meditate on these scriptures, and ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit so that these attitudes are ever increasing in your hearts and lives.    

The Fruitful Christian is Filled with the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 5:18-21
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father, and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Just like wine controls a drunk person, let the Holy Spirit control you.    When He is in control, He will speak through you and live through you.    And consequently, He will bear fruit through you.

How do we be filled with the Holy Spirit?

Once saved, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in your heart.   Permanently.   He will never leave you nor will He ever forsake you.  

However, there is a problem.    When we sin, we quench His Holy Spirit.     We dethrone Him.   So, what must we do?

Breathe Spiritually:

Bill Bright wrote an excellent book on this!

Exhale:

Confess your sins as you do them.    Confess every known sin.   And don't let them get stacked up!  

Inhale:

Once you have confessed, by faith breathe in His forgiveness.

Psalm 32:5

I acknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. 

I John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
 

Jesus blood is sufficient for all our sin.   And His blood keeps on cleansing us until the day we die.


Finally, ask Him to empower you with the Holy Spirit.    Submit to His authority.   Reinstate Him as King of your life.

I John 5:14-15

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

If you ask Him, He will answer you.   This is His will for you.

The Fruitful Christian Abides in Christ

John 15:4-5

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 

According to John McArthur:

The word "abide" basically means "to remain."

Abiding in Christ evidences genuine salvation. The Apostle John alluded to that when he referred to defected professors who "went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us" (1 John 2:19).

People with genuine faith will remain--they won't defect; they won't deny Christ or abandon His truth. Jesus reiterated the importance of abiding as a sign of real faith when He said, "If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine" (John 8:31).    -----  John McArthur

The Fruitful Christian Meditates on the Word of God

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
  planted by streams of water
that yields fruit in its season,
  and its leaf does not wither, 
In all that he does, he prospers.

Ask God to give you a hunger and thirst for Him and His righteousness.

Matthew 5:6
For blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Psalm 42:1
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.



Is the Word of God the joy of your heart?  (Ps 119:111)
Is the Word of God more precious than gold?   (Ps 119:127)

Ask Him to do that for you.

Ps 91:  those who love Him  (JM:  cling to him; long for Him)  Another blog instead.