RESULTS OF SALVATION | FRUIT

1. Results of Salvation

a) People who are "saved" have received salvation. The word salvation tells many wonderful things that God supplies for those who accept Christ. Some of these are past and can never be changed again. Some are in the present time, going on day by day, 1 Peter 1:9. Others will come to pass in the future.

b) "Salvation ready to be revealed in the last time", 1 Peter 1:5.

c) For now, we will think about the present side of salvation, in another later, future salvation.

d) The word sanctify means to set apart for God. Since God is holy, sanctify can mean to make someone holy, or to make a person a saint. All believers are saints, Romans 1:7. They have been made holy, have been set apart for God by the Holy Spirit. But sanctification is something that goes day by day as well. The Lord who sanctifies and they who are being sanctified are all of one, Hebrews 2:11.

e) Sanctification is not only a thing of the present time. It is past, 1 Corinthians 6:11, and also will continue until Christ makes us perfect, Ephesians 5:26-27.

2. What is Fruit?

a) If a man has victory in his life every day over the world, the flesh and the devil, this shows that he is really saved. Another way by which he can prove that he has been born again is by bearing fruit day by day. But what is fruit?

i) Good deeds are called fruit, Matthew 3:8. They prove that a  person has truly repented and is really a child of God. You can tell a false prophet from a prophet of God by his fruits, Matthew 7:16.

ii) A person who walks in the Spirit will bear the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23; love, joy. peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

iii) Paul says the gospel brought forth fruit in the whole world, Colossians 1:6. He hoped that he might have fruit when he go to Rome as he had had in other places, Romans 1:13. The desire to witness to others about Christ shows that one is saved. It is a wonderful things to win someone else to the Lord Jesus Christ. However the Bible teaches that living for God is more important than witnessing.

b) How do you bear fruit for God? Jesus said, "He that abides in me and I in him brings forth much fruit... By this is my Father glorified", John 15:5, 8.

c) If a branch (a Christian) bears some fruit, the Father (God) purifies it so it will bear more. If it does not bear fruit, it is removed from the vine. This means that if a believer does not bear fruit, the Father will take him to heaven so that he will not bring shame to God here on earth.