“Grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ” (Ephesians 4:15)

Many Christians remain stunted in spiritual things, showing little change from year to year. They shouldn’t be content with little fruit. They shouldn’t “rest safe” in their lethargy. Being saved by faith without visible Biblical evidence of salvation is theoretically possible, but not condoned or endorsed in the Bible. The Bible takes the opposite position.

John the Baptist said, “Bring forth fruit worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8). Christ said, “He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:38), and “They shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy” (Revelation 3:4). The Greek word translated “worthy” is “axios”, which means “self-evident proof.

The Apostle Paul says saints are “set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness” (Romans 6:22).

Christ told a parable of four types of hearers of the Word. The first hearer, Satan removed the Word from his heart before it had an effect. The second hearer received the Word with joy, but fell away when he was tempted. The third hearer lasted longer, but he was derailed by the cares and pleasures of the world, so he also, bore no fruit. Only the fourth hearer bore fruit with patience. The Greek word translated patience means “stay-under”, which for the Christian, means “stay submitted to the Lordship of Christ” (Luke 8:11-15).

So, if  you’re saved, you should “Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness … Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light’” (Ephesians 5:8–14).

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