A FRUITY TREE

Today’s Bible readings are 1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30, Romans 2:25-3:8, Psalm 11:1-7, & Proverbs 19:10-12

Romans 2:28-29

²⁸ For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. ²⁹ No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

Being born into the church doesn’t make you a Christian. Being raised in a Christian home doesn’t make you a Christian. Listening to Christian music doesn’t make you a Christian. I have a friend who says, “Going to church & claiming to be a Christian doesn’t make it any more true than sitting in the garage calling yourself a Harley Davidson.” As funny as an illustration as this is, it paints a very clear & accurate picture.

Being a Christian is a matter of the heart. That is what Paul was expressing to the Roman church in this letter. They prided themselves in what they knew but their hearts were far from what it needed to be in many cases.

I know that there are some circles of faith that say you are a Christian because you turned 15 & took one of the classes that they require at the church. You say a few things the way you have been trained to say them, they baptize you, or sprinkle a few drops on you, say you are a member & now you are saved. Friend, hear me when I say this—that is not what the bible teaches to be a “Salvation experience”.

A salvation experience is coming to a place where you realize that you are lost. It is realizing that you are a sinner & in need to be delivered from the penalty that is due for the sins committed. It is being broken inside by the realization of your sins. It is then having a revelation of Jesus as your atoning sacrifice. It is involves reaching out to Him in desperation to save you because you know that you, your parents, & religion CAN”T DO IT!!!

Then, it is opening up your heart for Him to come & make His home in you. This is followed by a very important part—REPENTANCE. This simply means that you have had a change of heart about the way that you have been living life. You no longer want to live the way you have been living. You make a decision to live differently; the way Jesus prescribes in His Word. That change of heart is such a powerful thing that it leads to a change in thinking, which leads to a CHANGE OF ACTION.

This is what we see in Act 9 with the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.

1.      He saw his lost state.

2.      He recognized how he had been sinning against Jesus.

3.      He saw that Jesus was the only ONE who could pay for his many sins.

4.      He had a true change of heart, mind, & action.

It was obvious after Paul was converted that things were different in his life. This is the proof that one is a Christian. It is what Jesus spoke of:

Matthew 7:15-20

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. ¹⁶ You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. ¹⁹ So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

It is our actions, not our words that prove we are Christ-followers.

If we have the fruit of Christ in our lives then it is clear that we are of Christian. If we don’t have the fruit of Christ then we are not of Him. It doesn’t matter what church you are a member to. It doesn’t’ matter who your parents are. It makes no difference if your grandpa was a preacher. THEIR FAITH CAN’T SAVE YOU!!! YOU MUST FIND YOUR OWN!!!

Here are a few fruits that should be in our lives if we are in the Vine.

1.     We have a genuine desire to share our faith.

2.     We have a sincere love for other believers.

3.     We are givers.

4.     Less emphasis of worldly things & greater emphasis on eternal things.

5.     We have God’s love in our hearts that leads to us showing love & compassion toward others.

Make sure that the fruit that you are bearing is the fruit that Jesus bore. Don’t let little things creep in to rob you of your fruitfulness. Fruit matters so make sure you are a fruity tree!!!

Pastor Richard Schlotter