God’s plan and God’s expectation is that those who are saved will bear fruit. And not only will they bear fruit, but they will bear fruit quickly, consistently, and abundantly. Fruitfulness is evidence of both salvation and sanctification. This was the conviction of Robert Macdonald, who ministered in Scotland in the mid-1800s.

In the religion of the Colossians there was more than mere conviction, or emotional excitement, or visible profession; there was, over and above all this, varied and substantial fruit. Speaking to them of the word of the truth of the gospel, the apostle said, “which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.” The fruit so commended were those graces of the Spirit which adorn the Christian character, and of which all must more or less be possessed who would really be the Lord’s.
Fruit is the Lord’s expectation, and it is a grievous sin to disappoint it: “These three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none.” Fruit, too, is the test of discipleship: “By their fruits ye shall know them.” To remain barren and unfruitful, therefore, decisively falsifies our profession. Moreover, when abundant, fruit is specially honouring to the Lord; for it is expressly written, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit.” From these and similar statements it is clear that when fruit does not spring up in the life, the word has never truly gone down into the heart. This is ever a perilous condition, for though the Lord may bear long with the fruitless, he will not bear always.
With regard to the Colossians, it is an interesting fact that they were not only richly fruitful, but the word produced fruit in them from the first day they heard it. Like the Bereans, they received the word with all readiness of mind, and speedily brought forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness.
We cannot be too soon the Lord’s, and live to high and holy purpose.

Drawn from From Day to Day: Helpful Words for the Christian Life.

The Lord be with you and bless you today.

Westminster Books has a deal on the excellent ESV Expository Commentary series—a series that will help with everything from personal devotions to sermon preparation.
7 Reasons Why the Gospel of John is So Special
Michael Kruger asks “what exactly makes John so different? Given that John loves the number seven—as one example among many, his gospel is structured around seven ‘signs’—let me offer seven things that makes John so special.”
The Pitfalls and Possibilities of Being “Political”
Kevin DeYoung continues an interesting series on faith and politics (especially as it pertains to pastors). “If a pastor is better known for his views on COVID-19 or for his analysis of the latest shooting than he is for his views on the Trinity, the person of Christ, and the gospel, then something is wrong.”
Donall and Conall and Dawkins 2 (Video)
It has been a while since we’ve heard from Donall and Conall (via LutheranSatire) but they are back and having another conversation with Richard Dawkins.
Nine Important Facts about Muhammad
Ayman Ibrahim covers 9 important facts about Muhammad. “As more Muslims come to this country, I believe American Christians need to know more of what Muslims understand about their prophet. Here are nine things you should know about Muhammad.”
Three Different Ways to Dismiss Divine Commands
“In the nearly two decades I’ve been speaking in different churches of different denominations, in different states, in different countries, and in different cultures, I’ve noticed that people (believers and non-believers alike) have a propensity to skirt the Bible’s precepts. They usually do it in one of three ways.”
Making Time to Read the Bible
Many people do not read the Bible simply because they do not make time to read the Bible. Barbara has some suggestions on how to make it a priority.
Flashback: It’s Only Money
Our convictions about money will influence some of the expenses we choose to take on, but it won’t make our bills go away and won’t do much to mitigate the fact that life is just plain costly.

The cross is the essence of Christianity. It is the apex of God’s glory, the zenith of His revelation, the centrepiece of His plan for the universe. —Will Dobbie

This week the blog is sponsored by AGTV.

In October 2020, the team that produced American Gospel: Christ Alone launched AGTV. Some see it as a Netflix for Christian teaching. The network hosts over 800 hours of carefully curated content. Much of it is available for free. There is now a long list of premium content and exclusive films and series for AGTV subscribers.
AGTV’s premium roster includes the following films:

American Gospel: Christ Alone
American Gospel: Christ Crucified
AG: Chapter & Verse (episodic versions of the AG films)
Luther: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer
The Church: Pillar and Ground of the Truth
Calvinist
Spirit & Truth: A Film about Worship
Knox – The Life and Legacy of Scotland’s Controversial Reformer
Logic On Fire – The Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones
Every Tribe: Cambodia, Laos, & Vietnam – Dispatches From the Front
I Once Was Blind: West Africa – Dispatches from the Front
Islands on the Edge: Southeast Asia – Dispatches from the Front
Father, Give Me Bread: Ethiopia & South Sudan – Dispatches from the Front
Matthew Henry – The Life and Times of the Bible Commentator
Fight of Faith: Meeting Machen

and the following series:

EPIC: An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History (10 Episodes)
Behold Your God: Rethinking God Biblically (13 Episodes)
Behold Your God: The Weight of Majesty (13 Episodes)
The Bergers: Voyage of Life (7 episodes)
Christ Crucified: Chapter Walkthrough – Defend & Confirm (10 Episodes)
The God Who Speaks: Sunday School Kit  (9 Episodes)
Discipleship Explored (8 Episodes)
Life Explored (14 episodes)
Christianity Explored (10 Episodes)
Adventures with Ranger Joe (25 Episodes)
AG Roundtables (9 episodes)
AG Uncut (10 videos)
Answering Progressive Christianity – Alisa Childers (5 Episodes)
Freedom – Costi Hinn (6 Episodes)
Law & Gospel – Mike Abendroth (5 episodes)
Spiritual Warfare: Truth or Territory? – Jim Osman (8 Episodes)
The Genesis – Biblical Theology with Emilio Ramos (6 episodes)
Steve & Paulette’s Place
God Doesn’t Whisper – Jim Osman

An AGTV subscription is $5.99 per month, and a three-day free trial is available at www.watchagtv.com. Once you register on the web, you can use the AGTV apps available for iPhone, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire Stick.