What Do Christians Do? The Fruit of Christians

The Fruit of Followers of Christ — A Fig Tree with Fruit

What Do Christians Do?

Churches in the same town (even on the same street!) are sometimes shockingly different! From styles (music selection, preaching methods, etc.) to settings (multi-site megachurches, white buildings with steeples, etc.), there are many things that fit under the umbrella of being “Christian.” If that’s the case, does anything go? Or are there some things necessary to be considered “Christian?”

In other words, what do Christians do? Simply stated, Christians worship the one true and living God through Jesus Christ His Son. Worship is presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1). In practice, this divides into three general categories: discipleship, corporate worship, and the proclamation of Christ. There is great liberty in how a person or church carries out these three functions, but they are each necessary for one to be considered “Christian.”

While there is liberty, God hasn’t left us to guess how to be Christian. His word – the Bible – provides all the instruction we need to walk with Him properly. Let’s turn to the Holy Scriptures to define spiritual worship and look more closely at the three modes of sacrificial worship. To learn more about what Christians believe see our article: What Do Christians Believe?

Defining Spiritual Worship

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1, bold added)

The Book of Romans (written by the Apostle Paul) can be divided into two parts. In the first eleven chapters, he goes to great length to explain the gospel of Jesus Christ. That all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and that God is lovingly, graciously, extending forgiveness of those sins through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross (Romans 3:24–26).

Chapters 12–16 make up the second main section of the book. It’s here that Paul tells believers how to live in response to the Good News presented in the first section. He opens this portion of his letter with the quote above: “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).

Presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice is our spiritual worship.

Take note: This isn’t optional. It’s a command. It’s not a matter of whether we’re to do it. All that’s left to resolve is how we’re to do it.

Now, Paul is saying that living sacrificially is our “spiritual” worship. For some, this statement makes his command mystical or mysterious; its neither. The Apostle’s use of “spiritual” here could be taken in one of two ways.

First, by “spiritual” Paul could mean that living sacrificially is from our soul. It’s the soul’s response to the great work God has done.

Second (and probably more likely), the word translated “spiritual” here can also mean “reasonable.” In other words, presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice to God is the reasonable (rational, logical, sensible, sound, prudent) response to God’s gracious work on our behalf.

Whichever Paul meant, a Christian has been purchased with a great price, the blood of Jesus. They are no longer their own. They are obligated to live for the glory of God, through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Again, the particulars will vary, but the general categories will always remain the same. They are:

1. Discipleship

2. Corporate worship

3. The proclamation of Christ.

We’ll deal with each of these in more detail below. For more on why Christians should worship God, see our articles:

The Christian as a Disciple

Technically, a disciple is someone who is “a learner” or a “pupil” of another. It’s someone who comes under the authority and instruction of another so as to learn to be like the teacher or instructor. From the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, He established those who followed Him as His “disciples.” We are no different:

Why do you call Me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great. (Luke 6:46-49, bold added)
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36; bold added)

All Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ. They no longer follow the teachings and ways of the world. They no longer follow their hearts. They now follow the teaching and way of Christ. They walk according to Jesus.

Now, we must acknowledge that “obeying the Son as a disciple” is an umbrella-idea too large to explore in one short article. Entire books have been written about this. Over the centuries, libraries worth of books have written trying to properly express all that it means “obey the Son.”

For our purposes, let’s look at just one aspect of this great and joyful burden.

People have used many criteria attempting to distinguish “true Christians” from those only making an empty claim to the title. Worship styles (liturgical or informal), spiritual gifts (speaking in tongues, healing, etc.), baptism (pedobaptism vs. credobaptism) … the list goes on. However, there is one distinctive characteristic that God gave in order to separate the true disciple from all others:

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35)

According to Jesus (Whom John was quoting), all the world would know a Jesus-follower by their love. Why? Because there is no single characteristic which better epitomizes Christ than love.

By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. (1 John 3:16, bold added)

We know what love is based on what Christ did for us.

Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. (John 15:9)

Jesus, following the example of the Father’s love toward Him, loves His disciples.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. (Ephesians 5:2, bold added)

Christians are disciples (imitators) of Christ. Christ is the perfect expression and display of love. Therefore, Christians must demonstrate love.

Most directly, the Christian loves Christ’s Church – all those who belong to Jesus. This isn’t a superficial love that says, “be warm and well fed” (James 2:16) but does nothing about it. Instead, it’s a deep and sacrificial love. A love that gives. A love that sacrifices time, resources, patience, and forgiveness. It’s a love that seeks to satisfy the needs of another.

Of course, love doesn’t stop at the doors of the church. More on that later.

For more information on the sacrificial love of Christ, see our article, They Crucified Him.

To summarize, a Christian is a disciple; one who follows, learns from, and is obedient to Jesus Christ. To do this properly, the disciple is to be constantly nourished by the Word of God and in prayer for guidance and direction.

The evidence of our discipleship (marked first by love) should be a strong encouragement that we are genuinely a child of the living God. For a more in-depth look at this (and other) biblical test for genuine salvation, don’t miss our free video available here.

For more on how to know God, see our article: How Do I Exalt God? Four Practical Tips. You may also enjoy this related sermon on Hebrews 12, titled The Fruit of Discipline:

Howell Bible Church · Hebrews 12 - The Fruit Of Discipline

Corporate Worship

Christians actively engage in worshiping God with other believers. We call this, “corporate worship.” Some simply call it, “going to church.”

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25, bold added)

Above, we said that love was the primary mark of a Christian’s discipleship. If you don’t spend significant time with other Christians, it’s easy to fool yourself (and others) into believing you are walking in love. According to God,

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20)

Growing and demonstrating love towards other believers is an important part of corporate worship.

A second vital reason Christians gather together is their love of God.

We gather because we love to sing of His grace, mercy, and majesty. We gather because we love to learn from His word faithfully preached. We gather together because we love to join with the saints in prayer, praising the Father and petitioning Him for help. In short, we gather because we want to know the LORD and experience Him.

This is eternal life, that they may know You (God the Father), the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3, paratheses added)

And God has ordained that this is done in fellowship with other saints.

Gathering together with other believers on a regular basis to worship God together through singing praise, studying God’s word, along with praying and serving together is an indispensable and necessary part of the life of a Christian.

We need the encouragement and accountability from other believers. We need to provide it for others, also.

Proclamation of Christ

A Christian’s love must not stop with the Church. Love must also be tangibly expressed to the unbelieving world. The Christian demonstrates love towards the lost by praying for and proclaiming Christ to them.

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what He has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:13-17, bold added).

Christians know that they have received the most loving and gracious gift anyone can receive: The merciful forgiveness of God. Not only that, but this gift is also free. Imagine having access to an unlimited amount of some glorious thing (in this case, the love and forgiveness of God). Since you have an unlimited amount of it, and because of its exceeding glory, why wouldn’t you want to share it?

In Proverbs, we read:

Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.
If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?
And does He not know it who keeps your soul?
And will He not render to man according to his work? (Proverbs 24:11–12)

Faith comes by hearing Christ proclaimed. We are commanded to deliver those who are being taken away to death; we can’t pretend like we were unaware of their plight or our responsibility. Out of love, we who know Christ should be eager to proclaim His excellencies, goodness, and glory.

It’s understandable to be nervous. Our Lord said that the world would hate us (Matthew 10:22). But each Christian has received the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17–19) as part of our Christian life. It’s the one ministry that every new creation in Christ shares.

The particulars of how you share the gospel may be different. Yet, all Christians are ministers of reconciliation.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

Why? It’s our loving response to God because of what He first did for us:

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The Christian has a genuine love for the lost, unbelieving world. Not a love for their deeds and wickedness. A love for their genuine well-being and salvation. A love for a Savior who is glorified when the lost are found in Him. As our Lord Himself prayed for His persecutors and loved those who hated Him, so disciples of Christ must walk in this world.

the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:6)

Whatever other ministries Christians may participate in, all Christians are called by God to participate in the ministry of reconciliation.

For more on the importance of this see our articles:

Examining Ourselves - Are You in the Faith?

Discipleship, corporate worship, and the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Three things that all Christians do. These are the fruits of Christianity.

By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (Matthew 7:16, bold added)

The Apostle Paul exhorts followers of Christ:

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Again, Paul instructs,

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test. (2 Corinthians 13:5-6)

Are you bearing the fruit of Christianity? Is the fruit on your tree filled with discipleship, corporate worship, and the proclamation of Christ? If so, be encouraged! Continue in these things until the end. But if you find little of these fruits in your life, please know that – according to the Bible – this is an indicator of poor spiritual health.

Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved! For all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

For more on calling on the Lord unto salvation, see our article Call on the Name of Jesus. Free video with 5 biblical tests to examine ourselves and see if we are in the faith: Am I Really a Christian?