Jesus came to give us life, and life abundantly. (Jn. 10:10) But the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The abundant life the Lord has for you is not in theory only! When we are willing to know God in theory only, the enemy can steal from us in reality. Jesus had no value for words without works (see Jn. 10:37). Likewise, James had no value for faith without action. In Luke 18, the blind man put action behind his faith when he cried out to Jesus. The crowd tried to silence him, but he cried out all the more. Jesus recognized and responded to his faith: "what do you want Me to do for you?" And that's the question for you today as well. What do you want Him to do for you? What part of your walk with God do you want to promote from theory to reality?
Moving the Needle
Part 2: The Value of Fruitfulness
When you expect more, you get more! Jesus expected His relationship with His Father to make an impact in the lives of others, but a religious spirit tries to replace fruit with just words. 1 Cor. 4:20 says “for the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power!”
Part 3: Promotion Through Pruning
“In theory only” is called religion. It’s form, no function. It’s form, no fruit. Jesus hates that. In John 10:37, Jesus said “if I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me.” That’s the standard. The Holy Spirit is wanting to convict you of things in the Kingdom that you haven’t seen yet. But, if you are not bearing much fruit, the Father’s heart is to lift you up - not to cast you out! (Jn. 15:2) Fruitfulness is actually natural for a believer. Fruitfulness consists of both fruitful “works” (Eph. 2:10) and fruitful “ways” (Galatians 5). "Every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” There is only one reason God prunes you - that you would bear more fruit.