The Mark!

“Jesus said “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit…” Jn.15:5

Sometimes we have very strange ways of measuring our spiritual maturity. So what is the mark of spiritual maturity? To answer this question, I will ask you yet another question, How do you know when a boy becomes a man or a girl becomes a woman? What is the mark of biological maturity? Think about it, what really is the mark of biological maturity? Biologically, an organism is termed to be mature when that organism can reproduce. From flowers, to birds, to ants, to antelopes, to man! Reproduction is the mark of maturity. Everything that feeds into it should help you mature but those things are not the mark of maturity. Bible study will help you mature, but Bible study is not the mark of maturity. Worship will help you mature, attending church will help you mature, but it is not the mark of maturity. Bible study and attending fellowship helped the early church to grow and mature in Christ. But the mark of maturity is the ability to reproduce. And to reproduce spiritually simply means to be able to help people who are far from God get close to God. To reproduce spiritually is help people who are out of God’s family become members of Gods family. So the question to you and I is how many people are now members of God’s family because of you. That is how productive you are spiritually. How many people have come to faith because of you? It is a tough question even for me but that is the question of maturity.

Biologically the period of reproduction stops but spiritually the period of reproduction never stops. The fact that you helped someone come to Christ yesterday does not mean you should not help someone else come to Christ today. The fact that you have been fruitful yesterday does not mean you should be barren today. You should be fruitful all the days of your life. Reproduction and fruitfulness are the mark of maturity. Jesus says if you remain in me; if you are worshiping, reading your Bible, praying, and having devotion you will produce fruit. You will not just produce fruit, you will produce much fruit. So the sign of communion with Jesus is fruitfulness spiritually. You had a fantastic prayer time? Where is the fruit? You sat before Jesus and got ‘xyz’ revelation this morning. I am happy for you but where is the fruit? When you pray in tongues, walls shake. Fantastic, where is the fruit? It is by their fruit you shall know them.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach me to abide in You and so that I will bear much fruit, in Jesus Name.