Signs of A Living Church (part2)

Fruits of Living And Active Faith

Opening Scripture: John 15:1-11 I Am the True Vine, and My Father is the Husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.

I Am the Vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples. As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.

If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

If we are close to God and have close fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Reading and studying His word, having a direct communication line with God, then your faith will grow and you’ll want to do more for the Kingdom of God, bearing much more fruit in your personal walk with Jesus Christ our Lord. This is clearly another vital sign of a living Christian and a Living church.

But… people who do not want to do anything for the Lord is because they are not close to God. They are afar off from Christ and they bare bad to no fruit. Just like the Lord’s spiritual lesson of the fig tree points out.

Mark 11:12-13 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, He was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply He might find any thing thereon: and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

Jesus Christ inspected this tree closely and found only leaves, no buds or blossoms of fruit. On the outside it looked alive. But on the inside of this tree, it was dead, because it was not doing what it was created to do; and that is to bear fruit.

So therefore, He rebuked this tree and it withered and died. Same with Christians as well, if we do not bear fruit for Christ nor for His kingdom, He will do the same with us to the point of no return (Matthew 25:14-30).

That’s exactly what the Church of Sardis was (Revelation 3:1-6) a dead church. They had leaves but no fruit. The Lord warned them to be alive and not dead! Draw close to God through Jesus Christ and you will be alive! You stray away from Christ, you will die; because the branch (Christians) in itself cannot bear fruit.

When we abide in Christ just as the branch abides in the vine, we will naturally mature and grow and bare some fruit, to bare much more fruit. And that’s what faith is…action…trust and obey God

Mark 16:15-18 And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Having close fellowship and communion with God through Jesus Christ. Reading and study the Holy Bible and ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ to a spiritually dead world are all vital signs of a living church.

Jesus Christ commanded Christians the “Great Commission,” “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” This is also part of the vital signs of living and active faith! And living faith are the signs of a living Christian and church as well.

So, ministering the gospel is that next level of our relationship with Christ, growing and maturing in Jesus Christ, going from faith to faith (Romans 1:16-17). From one level of faith to a new level of faith!

James 2:17-26 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Walking In The Spirit of God

Walking in the Spirit is what the Holy Bible also calls sanctification. And it means to be set apart for God’s holy use… Consecrated! Going back to the example of Abraham, He had living and active faith.

He heard God, he believed God, therefore he trusted and obeyed God and did what he heard God command; putting His faith into action. And that’s exactly what our requirement is in the Lord. And this comes naturally, (as naturally as a fruit baring tree bares fruit), IF we stay in Christ.

To mortify completely the sinful deeds of the flesh. Let not sin reign in our mortal bodies. And that’s sanctification. Living the life in Christ in the Spirit of God. All this takes living and active faith to accomplish.

Romans 8:1-14 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Galatians 5:16-26 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

If you remain in Jesus Christ, you will not go by the way of sin, or of a carnal mind. You will be led by the Spirit of God. Your fruits will also multiply. Living a righteous and holy life by faith that pleases God will also become second nature. These are all signs of a living church.