Being Fruitful for the Knowledge of Christ

By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 3rd Feb, 2006)

Many servants of God don’t tell new Christians what to do next after being saved or baptised and so people stop growing.

John 15:5, if you live in the vine you’ll make the Father to be glorified because the fruit you bear will glorify God. How can I be fruitful in Jesus Christ? Does my life please God or not? Where am I in the Kingdom of God? What’s my level in Jesus Christ?

Colossians 1:10, to know God you need fruits and it requires an effort and your own decision because God will never do it for you. If there is no fruit it won’t be possible to glorify God. One day Jesus saw a tree with no fruit and He cursed it. Today Jesus says, ‘I need you to feed Me, I need you to feed My Church’. Do we have fruit to feed others? Do we have fruit to feed God? To feed God is a matter of glorifying Him and not only with your tongue but with fruit. We also need fruit to have a knowledge of God. Knowing God is to feed His presence in your life and communicate with Him and to come close to Him. People only come close to God when they have a problem but God needs first to be glorified. God is close to you but you are running away which means you are not fruitful.

II Peter 1:5-8, people teach faith or how to be saved but there is a second step which is virtue; the habit of doing good in your life. After faith you need to add virtue and then knowledge. Knowledge means you don’t misinterpret the Word of God for your own needs. Misuse of the Bible makes the Word of God useless because you apply it to the wrong place. After knowledge is self-control; try to control your heart and soul so you can’t make God unhappy. Because of a lack of self-control people lose their faith. Next is perseverance; carry on in something difficult. Usually the first thing we do is to complain. Next is godliness; make yourself closer to God, attach yourself to God and ask Him to correct you. Next is brotherly kindness; taking care of others. You need all of these and to know who you are praying to and who you adore, to become a mature Christian. You need these fruit and then you’ll fell God’s presence in your life and He’ll lead you.

SUMMARY

- To glorify God we need fruit in our lives (to feed Him and others)

- The fruit is:

1. virtue
2. knowledge
3. self-control
4. perseverance
5. godliness
6. brotherly kindness

- We need all of these fruit to become a mature Christian

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