How Do Christians Bear Fruit? - Soul Choice Ministries

Have you ever thought about why some Christians seem to be more fruitful or spiritually productive? There are many reasons, but we will focus on one here – a lack of knowledge and understanding of the Bible. This ties to a lack of respect or value an individual places on God’s word.

In Mark 4 and Matthew 13, Jesus clearly explains this most important parable to understand. He describes how God’s word is the seed. The soil is a person’s heart. The condition of the soil, or the condition of a person’s heart, determines the result.

There are three types of soil that do not produce a true Christian, and three that produce fruit, which is evidence of a true Christian. Jesus said, in Matthew 7:20, “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.“

In Matthew 13:19-23, Jesus said, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

If a believer doesn’t value what the Bible says, then the devil steals God’s word out of their heart because they have no understanding. The Word of God must be understood before it can truly bear fruit. The question is: Why don’t they have understanding? The next verses explain:

Proverbs 15:32 “But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding – or receives instruction.”

Psalms 111:10 “A good understanding have all those who DO His commandments.”

Psalms 119:104 “Through Your precepts, I get understanding; So, we learn by knowing His word.”

Psalms 119:130 “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”

We must desire God’s word so it enters our heart.

We can see that the reason they don’t understand is because they refuse instruction, and there is a lack of obedience, and little time reading the Bible. The person who values and honors the Bible listens carefully, receives God’s instruction into their heart, continues to read and learn so they grow spiritually and in turn become more fruitful.

In addition to producing more spiritual fruit, which includes caring enough to show people the way of salvation, we believe that it also can refer to the one who searches the Bible more diligently and discovers more spiritual treasure than others. They gain more understanding of God’s word.

Expositors Bible Commentary pg. 1672 says, “He wanted to understand and the Lord rewards such by giving more understanding.”

David Guzik said, “When we hear the word of God, and receive it with gladness, more will be given to us from God’s spiritual riches.”

Those who dig in the word also discover the promises that are somewhat hidden, but become obvious once you study. They have a hunger to appropriate and experience those benefits for their lives.

Proverbs 2:1-5, “My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.”

Only if you value God’s word as a treasure and seek diligently, only then will you increase in the knowledge of God. More knowledge of God’s word and obedience to do what it says produces more spiritual fruit. Not every Christian is committed to spiritual growth.

Proverbs 25:2, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” God somewhat hides His promises, and in Revelation 1:6 Christians are called kings and priests unto God. God hides some of the treasure in His word, and He is pleased when we hunger enough to search it out.

For instance, in John 11, Mary said to Jesus that Lazarus was sick. Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Most Christians will say, “I am sick and God gets glory for it.” This is not the case, and not what Jesus meant. Look just ahead in the same chapter in verse 40,

“Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

The glory was not the sickness, but the glory was the raising from the dead, so that God could receive the glory. God doesn’t receive glory when people are sick.

The man at the Gate Beautiful who was lame. Peter told him to get up. He did and was healed, and he went into the city. People saw him walking, leaping, and praising God. And the people were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. The praising God came after the healing.

In Luke 13:13, the woman that was bowed over, it says when Jesus, “He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” The glorifying God came after the healing.

And in Luke 17:15, “one of the lepers that Jesus healed…and one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God.” The glory again came from the healing, not the sickness.

We can see by these biblical examples that seeing the glory of God was seeing the people healed. If we didn’t study and dig further, we would believe the lie that sickness brings God glory.

There are many other scriptures that show God’s will is healing. This is just one example of the provision God appropriated for us on the Cross. Another example of receiving more from the word of God, and then seeing the fruit from it, is my study of the scriptures about hell…

After God had given me a vision of hell, and seven years before I wrote the book, 23 Minutes in Hell, I wanted to study the Bible and see if what I saw was already in the Bible. I began to study all the verses on hell, read many of the commentaries on each verse, listened to hundreds of teachings about the subject, and prayed and listened to the Holy Spirit regarding God’s view of hell.

During this seven-year period, I discovered the absolute severity of hell, but also the great love of God. I began to understand the great effort He goes through with each person giving them the opportunity of salvation so they could avoid hell.

I learned why hell is justifiable, why hell is eternal, why a person is deserving of hell, why people are accountable, and why many Pastors avoid the subject altogether. I also learned that hell was prepared, not created, which means it is a place where God simply withdrew his goodness, or his attributes. All good comes only from God, Jam. 1:17 states, and if he withdraws himself, all good goes with him. What remains is hell, a place where nothing good exists. All my studying on the subject gave me a deeper insight into God, and revealed a much greater understanding of why!

As we were invited to minister at churches to share my vision and the severity of hell, and answer many of the difficult questions that arise from it, we saw thousands come forward at the altars to repent of their sins and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. And this has continued for twenty years of travel and ministry.

This fruit is from God of course, but how I communicated the message came as a result of gaining more insight into God’s word. Helping people see the lengths God goes through for every person to help lead them in the way of salvation shows them God’s desire to keep people out of hell. Job 33 explains that God even gives man dreams and visions to keep back his soul from the pit.

God loves everyone and He proved it by paying a high price for their salvation. He suffered the agony of the cross for their sins. He gave man a free will to believe His word, or reject it.

Some people will receive only 30-fold of God’s word, some 60, and others 100 but God wants us to receive His word to full benefit.

Psalms 103:2-3, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not ALL HIS BENEFITS: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” Those are two very important benefits!

Here is something else to consider: In the Old Testament, several of the twelve tribes of Israel never took the entire portion of land they were given. Yet other tribes, such as Judah, took their full portion plus the area that other tribes refused to take. They were eager for the land so they could build houses and raise their families. They made an extra effort to acquire the land. They had to fight more battles with those who occupied the territory, but they were willing to do what it takes for the possession. They didn’t settle for just a small piece of the land.

So, it is with God’s word.

If we want to take what God has provided, the enemy will fight us and discourage us. If it’s to do with healing, or provision, or deliverance from oppression, or spreading the Gospel, the devil will resist us. There is a fight of faith required to experience what Jesus has provided. Some settle for their salvation, which is of course far more than we can imagine and to be eternally grateful for, but there are also other benefits we can experience in this life on earth.

Satan will fight you and attempt to find a way into your life so he can bring discouragement, distractions, sickness, tragedy, steal your money, steal your hope, and cause you to live in fear, doubt and despair. He will tell you, ‘You can’t do it, you’re not good enough, you’re not smart enough, what if they reject you, you’ll never make it”…and on and on his lies go.

The 30, 60 and 100-fold principal seems to have then two aspects to it:

Those who produce more spiritual fruit for God’s kingdom, and those who highly value God’s word and experience a fuller benefit of it in their lives.

May we aspire to be the 100-fold person. Let’s ask ourselves, “What kind of soil am I? How can I prepare my heart and mind to be the right kind of soil?”

1 Peter 1:23 tells us the Word of God is incorruptible seed, and it abides forever. The seed will do the work, if we plant it in good ground.