Sanctification

Sanctification: bearing fruit
Matthew 7:15-23

You may be wondering ‘What is sanctification?’ Maybe if you were here when we talked about reconciliation, you could figure that out. Maybe you have heard about justification before. Adoption is a familiar term, so it makes sense. But what is sanctification, and how is it a blessing?

Sanctification is just a big word that means ‘to become holy’. To be sanctified means to be made holy. We can be made holy. Some of you might be thinking, ‘I don’t think I will ever be holy.’ Well, you’re right. You will never be completely holy in this life. But you can be in the process of becoming holy by God’s grace. Which really just mean, becoming like Christ.

To use another word instead of sanctification, but brings out the same idea is growth. As a Christian you want to grow. You want to keep growing in becoming more like Christ. Now to be clear this doesn’t happen until the other three things we mentioned already happen. Until you have been reconciled with God, and justified by God and adopted as his very own, you will never grow in becoming like Christ. But when we are sincerely saved, we will begin to grow.

[Matthew 7:15-23]

Jesus says these words at the end of his Sermon on the Mount. He has just proclaimed for 3 chapters what being a disciple is all about. And now, here at the very end, he is saying “Live it, do it, put it into practice. Look for fruit, because fruit is the sign of genuine faith.” As a Christian, our job is to be constantly looking for fruit, both in others and in ourselves.

Look for good fruit in others

Christians are recognized by their fruit

Jesus tells us that people are like fruit trees. Some people are more fruity than others! A good tree bears good fruit. A bad tree bears bad fruit. For example, Jesus tells us, you don’t get grapes from thorns, you get them from a grapevine. You don’t get figs from a thistles, you get them from a fig tree. Those were common fruit in that part of the world. So today we might use an apple tree, we get apples from apples trees.

What is fruit? Fruit in this illustration is good works. Good things. But not just what people do, but also what people think and what people say. Good works.

Here is a list of some things that would be considered fruit. This is not the whole list, but just an example so we know what we are talking about. No particular order: In Galatians, Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We could add to that from other parts of Scripture, giving to the poor, loving your neighbor, serving the community, controlling our tempers, overcoming addictions, protecting the life of the unborn, sexual purity, watching over our tongues, forgiving those who sin against us, honoring parents, loving your spouse and kids, encouraging others, helping the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, prayer, repentance, study of Scripture, teaching, fasting, evangelism, gratefulness, and worship. These are all fruit that come with being a Christian.

Jesus tells us, the type of fruit someone bears will eventually reveal if they are a Christian. D A Carson writes,

One’s ‘fruit’…will ultimately reveal what one is…Living according to kingdom norms can be feigned for a time; but what one is will eventually reveal itself in what one does.” (Carson, 191)

The fruit that someone bears enables us to recognize the sincerity of their faith.

Adoniram Judson, the famous missionary to Burma was talking to his Burmese teacher about a man they both knew who died.

Adoniram: “His soul is lost, I think,”

The teacher: “Why so?’

Adoniram: “He was not a disciple of Christ.”

The teacher: “How do you know that? You could not see his soul.”

Adoniram: “How do you know whether the root of the mango tree is good? You cannot see it; but you can judge by the fruit on its branches. Thus I know the man who died was not a disciple of Christ, because his words and actions were not such as to indicate the disciple.”

The teacher: “And so all who are not disciples of Christ are lost!”

Adoniram: “Yes, all, whether Burmans or foreigners.”

The teacher: “This is hard,” answered the teacher, after digesting the idea little while.

Adoniram: “Yes, it is hard, indeed; otherwise I should not have come all this way, and left parents and all, to tell you of Christ.” (185)

By their fruit you will know them.


False Teachers are recognized by their bad fruit

The type of fruit someone bears is an indication of whether they are a true teacher or false teacher.

Jesus uses another analogy as well. He starts off with sheep, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” At first glance they look like Christians, what they teach or say seems right from the outside, and it’s a deception. Then Jesus switches to trees. “By their fruit you will recognize them.” Be careful of them. Stay away from them. Do not be tricked by them.

Just a note, Jesus is not talking about young Christians who are just starting to figure out their faith. Maybe they are asking questions about theology. Maybe they are struggling with coming out of a former lifestyle. Give it time. Nor is he talking about non-Christians who are interested in learning about Christian faith. People who are questioning and seeking and looking for answers are welcome to be part of a church as they look to learn.

Jesus is referring to false teachers: those who are intentionally and dangerously deceiving. Friends, not everyone who calls himself or herself a Christian is a Christian. Be wary of those who claim to be preachers, or pastors, or teachers, or religious leaders, and whose life does not match that of the Scripture. Jesus gives us a clear strategy of discernment: Look at their fruit. Are they bearing good fruit or bad fruit? As we mentioned earlier, an apple tree bears apples. A fig tree bears figs. A faithful Christian teacher bears good fruit.

For example, some of these TV preachers are way out there. Now, I don’t want to get down on all TV preachers, there are a few that stick to teaching the Scriptures and are faithful teachers. But some of these guys we have got to be careful of.

One time a youth group kid came and asked about a particularly TV preacher he liked. And the particular TV preacher he was referring to was one I had heard a lot of before, and I knew he was out to lunch. I will try not to mention his name. Just for the heck of it, let’s call him Benny. So me and this youth group kid decided to do a little research on Benny. We looked at the fruit of Benny’s ministry.

A few red flags quickly came up.

There were serious financial issues with Benny. For example, Benny’s ministry asked for donations to purchase him a new jet, for the bargain deal of $36 million dollars and cost about $600,000 a year to run. Independent organization have examined his ministry and found him ‘exorbitant in his spending’

There were serious dishonesty issues with Benny. For example Benny prophesied that before 2000 Fidel Castro would die, the first female president would be elected, and the East Coast would be destroyed by earthquakes. None of which occurred. There were also many claims of healing that were unsubstantiated.

There were serious theological issues with Benny. For example, Benny believes in what is called the Word of Faith theology, which teaches that God will make you rich if you have enough faith in him. If you’re not rich, it’s because you need more faith. I guess Jesus and his apostles simply needed more faith.

The fruit of Benny’s ministry left us wanting. Friends, by their fruit you will know them. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian. Jesus declares the harshest punishment for them, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Examine their life, examine their fruit.

In the late 1800s a poet named James Whitcomb Riley said a phrase that stuck with us Americans for years.

"When I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck."

Friends, the saying is true of people as well. If someone looks like a fake and quacks like a fake, we are safe to assume their a fake. If someone looks like an apple tree, bears fruit like and apple tree, then we are safe to assume they are an apple tree. Bearing fruit is the evidence of faith. Look for good fruit in others


Look for good fruit in ourselves

Our faith is recognized by its fruit

Jesus tells us in verse 15, not everyone who calls him ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom. Instead who is it that will enter the kingdom? “But only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” The one does the will of the Father, who produces the good fruit!

Now, it is important to clarify, you are not saved by doing these things. No matter how many good works you do it will never save you. God does that by grace through faith in Christ. Fruit is the product of saving faith. An apple tree grows apples. Until we become an apple tree, we will never grow apples. Until one is adopted as a child of God, you will never grow into being like Christ. Trying to become a Christian by good works is like one tree trying to become another tree. No matter how hard a thorn bush tries, it will never become an apple tree. God must do that.

And there are even good works that you can do, and not be a sincere Christian. Notice, Jesus says some will even say “Did we not prophesy in your name and drive our demons in your name and perform many miracles in your name?” And still the response is “I never knew you.”

Simply having the appearance of good works doesn’t save you, you must know Christ. It begins first with justification and reconciliation and adoption. Then the one who knows Christ will do the will of the Father. In a similar passage in John, Jesus says “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (15:5) Christ is the one who bears the good fruit through us, like a vine nourishing the branches.

Notice there is a bit of a paradox here. Do you see it? A genuine Christian, will do good works. An apple tree will bear apples. It will happen. It’s not a maybe, it’s a must. If you are a genuine Christian you will begin to be sanctified.

“There is no justification without sanctification, no forgiveness without renewal of life, no real faith from which the fruits of new obedience do not grow" (Martin Luther)

Here’s the paradox. Why then are we judged based on our fruit? The fruit doesn’t save us, and all who are sincere Christians will have fruit, why are we judged by our fruit?

Evidence. Evidence of grace.

Good fruit is the evidence that we know Christ

Bertrand Russell the famous atheist was asked before, what will he do if he dies and finds out there is a God. God asks him “Why didn’t you believe in me?” His answer was “Evidence, there wasn’t enough evidence.” It’s ironic friends, that it is not God who must produce evidence of who He is, but us who must produce evidence of who we are. Are we truly reconciled to God? Where is the evidence? Are we truly justified before God? Where is the evidence? Are we truly adopted by God? Where is the evidence?

I learned before that one of the things a pastor should do in ministry is to look for evidences of grace in people. Someone says they want to be a Christian, they say a prayer of repentance and faith. You rejoice, you hug them and love on them. Then you start to look for evidences of grace.

Does the way they treat their wife change? Does the integrity which they approach their job change? Does their language change (fewer GDs and F-bombs? Do they start to show interest in studying the Bible and praying? Do they want to talk about God? Do they start to get involved in serving others in ministries? Evidences of grace. They don’t save us, they don’t make us a Christian, but they are evidence that we are Christians.

Evidence, evidence, evidence, will be the one thing wanted when the great white throne is set, when the books are opened, when the graves give up their tenants, when the dead are arraigned before the bar of God. (J C Ryle, Holiness)

So to use an old Billy Graham question “If you were to die tonight and God should ask you, why should I let you into my heaven? What would you say? The answer is “Because Christ has died for me and saved me from sin.”

But perhaps his next question will be “What evidence is there of this?” And we will say, “Lord, here is my fruit. It may not be much. It’s certainly not enough to justify me before you. But it is evidence of your grace.”

Look at this tree behind me. What if I told you it was an apple tree. What would you say? Well, first of all if you were up close you would be able to tell it was it was made of plastic. But let’s say, I never let you up close. It’s looks like an apple tree I guess. It has no fruit. It has no apples. Apple trees grow apples. I can assure you this tree has never grown an apple. By their fruit you will recognize them.

Look for good fruit, as evidence of the sanctifying work on your soul. Look for it, search for it, examine your own life. Is there fruit in your life as the evidence of sincere faith? “Wow, I do love people. Not perfectly, but more than I did before. God did allow me to overcome that addiction. I do look forward to studying Scripture with my small group. I do have a desire to take care of someone who is sick, I am able to forgive that person who hurt me. There is fruit of sanctification in my life. God is working in my life. I really am justified by God, and reconciled to God, and adopted as his very own because I see the fruit of what he has done!”

Look for good fruit in ourselves.

Friends why is sanctification a blessing? Because it means God doesn’t leave us in our sin. God is the one who by his grace enables us to be sanctified. It’s a gift. God takes us beyond saving us from our sin, into changing us into his Image.

Take for example reconciliation. Remember in the story of the prodigal son, the son repents of his sin and returns to his father? Well what do you think would happen next? The son would learn to be the son he should have been. He will begin to really obey and honor and love his father. That is sanctification!

Or take the example of justification. Remember the parable of the tax collector who was justified, declared righteous by God? What do you think happened next? He began to change his life of sin. He stopped cheating people, and robbing his neighbor. He began to come to the temple joyfully and thankfully, praising God for justifying him. That is sanctification!

And thinking about God adopting us making us his very own children. What do you think should happen next? We should learn to love him, to honor him, to obey him. We should be growing in our relationship with our Heavenly Father and modeling Him. That is sanctification!

Growing as Christian is not a duty we have to accomplish to earn salvation before God. It’s a gift. It is God making us an apple tree so we can bear apples. It is God making us his child so we can live for him. Friends you and I are not thorn bushes. You are an apple tree. I am an apple tree. Look for fruit, in others and in our selves.