Trust, Praise, and Bearing Fruit

Praise is not only glorifying to God for its own value because it speaks truth about Him, but it is glorifying to God because it affirms our confidence in Him.

Thus do we glorify God by reciting His attributes, by reciting His works, and then thirdly, by saying thanks for both. The story is told of an old cobbler, surrounded by small hammers and tools he talked to customers while he worked, grabbing his tools by muscle memory, it seemed. Afterwards, he couldn't even remember which tools he had used, but he consistently did great work.

He had become a master of his craft, so much that he hardly had to think about which tool to use. Now, can you become so in tune with God that it becomes second nature to obey Him? Well, if you focus on the fundamentals of the Christian faith, if you work at the basics, you will definitely experience growth, and you'll notice your life becoming more in step with the Lord.

John MacArthur helps drive those fundamentals home. Today on Grace to You, join him as he takes you back to basics. That's the title of his study, and now here's John. If you do not live to the glory of God, you do not grow. If you're not living to God's glory, you're living to the glory of your own self, and that retards immediately spiritual maturity. But as our lives are abandoned to the glory of God, to His causes, to His honor, to His praise, then we progress along the line of growth. Now if that's true, if glorifying God is the way we grow, then it is absolutely essential that we know what it means to glorify God.

That is not just a foggy concept, not some vague mystical thought, but glorifying God is a very concrete, practical truth. In fact, I've shared with you already three keys to spiritual growth, three key areas in which we glorify God. Number one, we glorify God by confessing Jesus as Lord, Philippians 2. Number two, we glorify God by aiming our life at that purpose, 1 Corinthians 10 31. In our last study, we saw that we glorify God by confessing our sin.

As Joshua 7 19 says, give glory unto the God of Israel, make confession of your sin. Now I want us to come to a fourth principle for glorifying God, and it is this. We glorify God by trusting in Him. Now this seems a very basic thing, and indeed it is. It's very essential for us to realize that glorifying God is simple. It's not complex. Some of us have seen the stained glass windows and the massive cathedrals and all of the grandeur and the embellishment of religions that are supposedly doing all of this to the glory of God, when in fact, glorifying God is a very basic and simple thing.

In fact, it is as simple as trusting Him. Let me show you an illustration that points this out. Look with me in your Bibles to Romans chapter 4 and verse 20. This great portion of the Word of God deals with the life of Abraham. And in Romans chapter 4, Paul the Apostle is speaking about Abraham and his relationship to faith. Abraham was saved not by law but by faith as is any man in any age. And in verse 19 it says regarding Abraham, and being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.

Now that tells us a little about the circumstance. Abraham and Sarah had never had children. They had never had children because Sarah's womb was dead. She could not produce.

They have never been able to have a child. God comes to them and says you're going to have a child. Now you know well enough the story to remember that Abraham at first did not believe God. But after a while, he began to be confident of God's Word.

And so says Paul, he was not weak in faith, but rather, verse 20, and here's the key, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith. Now notice the last phrase, giving glory to God. What glorified God in Abraham's life was that Abraham believed God. God said, Abraham, I know it sounds ridiculous.

And by the way, they even named the child Isaac and that means laughter because it started out as such a joke. But the point is Abraham is here believing God. And that gives God glory. What it's saying is God, if you say it, I believe it. And what that means is God, I trust your Word. And that gives Him glory.

You see, most of us really honestly have to face the fact that we're a little thin in this area of really believing God. Abraham staggered not at the promise of God. God said walk this way and he walked it. It came to the place where Isaac was a young man and God said to him, all right, Abraham, I gave you your son in the loins of that child is the promise of the Abrahamic covenant. Out of his loins will come this great nation and Abraham, I'm telling you, this is the fulfillment of my promise.

Now take him up on a mountain and kill him. You know what Abraham did? He just took off with Isaac, strapped on him a bundle of sticks and off they went up to the mountain, laid him on the altar, tied him down, took a knife and was ready to plunge it into his heart. Never flinched, never stopped until he heard a ram and a thicket and he knew God had provided a way out. But the point of the story is this, Abraham was willing to go the full route to kill the very thing that was the fulfillment of God's promise in his life. He was absolutely confident that if God said to do something, you do it.

You never stagger and God will provide. He could have said, well, God, how in the world can you possibly say there's going to be an Abrahamic covenant fulfilled with people as the sands of the sea, as the stars of the heaven if I'm going to kill the only one there is? But he didn't argue. He believed God would keep his word even if he had to kill his son. Personally, I think he may well have believed that Isaac would be raised from the dead, even though in his experience that had never happened. That's how much he believed God.

That's the issue. To believe God gives him glory. You see, God's glory is the sum of all of His attributes, the fullness of all of His majesty. And if He is who He says He is, then He is a God to be believed. Now you're going to grow spiritually when you live a life that functionally trusts God. When you say, if your word says it, I'm going to do it.

If your word promises it, I'm going to claim it. If your word commands it, I'm going to obey it. We greatly dishonor God when we claim to believe in Him and yet we can't cope with life. As you live by faith, you're like Abraham who staggered not at the promise of God but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. You want to live to His glory?

Believe Him in everything that happens, everything that He says, every promise He gives, and walk by faith and that is the progress of spiritual maturity. Let's go on to a fifth principle. We glorify God fifthly, and this is a tremendously important truth, by fruitfulness. We glorify God by fruitfulness.

Now this is a subject that we could spend a lot of time talking about. I want to try to kind of boil it down a little bit for our study in this session. But in John chapter 15 is our key text in verse 8. In John 15 the Lord is talking about how He is the vine and we are the branches. In other words, His life pulses through us.

We are spiritually one organism with Him, organically connected so that the flow of His life proceeds through us. And as the flow of His life proceeds through us, it produces fruitfulness. Now verse 8 tells us what it is that fruitfulness accomplishes. It says this, in this is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit.

Now that's the point. Fruitfulness glorifies God. Spiritual growth again is glorifying God and glorifying God is bearing fruit.

Why? Because that is allowing God's power to be productive in our lives. As we have received Christ, aim at His glory, deal with sin in our lives, walk by faith, God produces in us fruitfulness. Now it dishonors God when you have little fruit. I don't think there's any such thing as a no-fruit Christian. There are just fruits, little fruits, and much fruits. Because, you know, if you're a Christian at all, you're going to have at least a few dried grapes hanging somewhere because Jesus said, by their fruits you shall what?

You'll know them. Now it's very important that you produce fruit because that's how you manifest your character. How do people know that you're a believer and that you belong to God if they don't see any product, right? How do they know you're an apple tree if you don't have an apple? How do they know you're a peach tree if you don't have a peach?

I mean, how are they going to know you're an orange tree if you don't have an orange? How can they tell what you are unless there's a manifestation and so that the character of God is at stake? God wants to produce something that radiates Himself in your life. He wants to do more than what your flesh can do, more than what the world can do.

This is important. That's what Paul meant when he wrote to Titus and said, you are to live to adorn the doctrine of God. There ought to be something of the nature of God hanging on you so that it's evident that He's at work in your life. Matthew chapter 5 verse 16, Jesus said, let your light so shine before men that they may see your what? Your good works and do what? Glorify your Father who is in heaven. Jesus is saying the product of your living is the manifestation of God. And if it isn't there, then God isn't visible.

Now somebody might say, well, that's all well and good, John. You keep talking about the fact that we're to be fruitful, but what's fruit? What do you mean? Well, I'm glad you asked because that's very important. What do we mean by fruit? Philippians 1 11.

Good place to start. Listen to this. Being filled, not just here and there, but filled with the fruits of righteousness, now listen to this, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. When you produce, God is glorified.

That's such a great thing. And what is it? The fruits of righteousness.

What is fruit in your life? I'll tell you very simple. Righteousness. Righteousness. What is righteousness?

That's right as opposed to wrong. Righteousness is just a long way of saying doing right. When you do right, that glorifies God. When you do wrong, that dishonors God. So if you're to have fruit, that means you're to have visible righteousness. Visibly you do what's right. That's really all righteousness means. Doing what is right. If God is to be glorified, it's in our fruitfulness.

Now let me get real specific. There are two kinds of fruit in the Bible. The first is called action fruit. Action fruit. That's called action fruit by me, not by the Bible. Just a category.

What is action fruit? Listen, I'll show you. Romans 1 13 says this. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes, Paul says, I purposed to come unto you.

In other words, a lot of times I wanted to come to you in Rome, but was prevented. Why did you want to come, Paul? In order that, that's a Hinah purpose clause, I might have some fruit among you, even as among other Gentiles. Now what's he referring to here?

What is fruit here? Converts, right? I wanted to come and win some people to Christ. Fruit then, action fruit is winning someone to Christ. Do you have that product in your life?

You want to know something? I think the most natural thing for a believer to do is to win other people to Christ, because one of the products of life is reproduction. Why, Paul said to Timothy, the things that I've committed to you, commit to faithful men who shall be able to teach others, also keep the process going. Jesus said, go into all the world and make disciples, reproduce yourself.

That's one of the qualities that life carries, the ability to reproduce. So he says, I wish I could come and have some fruit like I've had in other places. Fruit is converts to Christ. Now as a believer, if you are involved in reproduction, you are growing.

You're growing because life is at work in you. But that's not all. There are other things that are also fruit. Philippians chapter 4, verse 17. And in this section, just to give you a little background, the Philippians had sent Paul a rather magnanimous gift.

They were very generous and they'd send him a love offering. But he says to them in effect, you know, I really appreciate your gift. I just want you to know that I don't need it. But even though I don't need it, I'm so glad you sent it.

Why? Verse 17, not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. In other words, the great thing about your gift was that it was fruit. Not that I needed it, but that you produced it.

You see? Now if you're sitting around waiting for somebody to have a huge, big need before you act, you've missed the point. Maybe you ought to give to somebody who doesn't have that great of a need, but because it's fruit. Because it's fruit, if your life. When your life is filled with the power of God and when you are totally committed to glorifying the Lord, you will find yourself giving because giving is fruit, an act of giving.

So what is fruit? It is winning someone to Christ. It is giving, even a monetary gift. Even when there isn't a specifically great need, you give because it's in your heart to give.

My father used to always say, you can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. And if you love and if you're lost in the glory of God, you're going to give and give and give, even as God gives. Another thing that we could consider fruit is in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15. It says there, by Him therefore, that is by Christ, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. Now watch, the fruit of our lips giving thanks. Did you know that saying thanks to God is fruit?

That's right. That's a product of God's working in your life. Fruitfulness is winning people to Christ, giving a gift and saying thanks. How about Colossians 1 10? Colossians 1 10 says this, that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, now get this, being fruitful in every good work.

Now do you see how encompassing that is? Any good work is fruit. It could be winning someone to Christ, giving a gift, thanking the Lord with your lips, or doing any good work. It's all fruit. And people, that's what God wants to see in your life. And what I'm saying is this, productive Christians are growing Christians. You make a gift, you praise the Lord, you do a good work, but there's a different category altogether and I call it attitude fruit.

Now if you look with me for a minute at Galatians chapter 5, you'll see that particular kind of fruit. Verse 22, it says, but the fruit of the Spirit is, and here you don't have action at all, you have attitude, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. Now here the Apostle Paul lists attitudes. He's not talking about action, he's talking about attitude. Love is an attitude, joy is an attitude, peace is an attitude, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, or humility.

They're all attitudes. But now watch. On the one hand you have action fruit, on the other hand you have attitude fruit. Now listen to me. If you have action fruit without attitude fruit, that's legalism.

You see? You're just cranking it out like the Pharisees. And people, the attitudes are very important. You say, well John, how do you get those right attitudes? How do you have a heart full of love? How do you have a heart full of joy and peace?

How do you have a heart full of long-suffering and so forth? Well, Galatians 5 I think really helps us to see that. Because it says in verse 25, if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. It is a matter of yielding the control of our life to the Holy Spirit. As the branch yields to the vine, the flow of right attitude coming through the nature of God in the Holy Spirit permeates our lives all the way out to the point where we produce fruit.

What have we seen then? We glorify God by our fruitfulness. Now let's go to a sixth principle. In growing, maturing, unlocking the keys as it were, or the locks of spiritual growth, there's another key.

And that is this. We glorify God, and we hinted at it last time, by praising Him. I don't believe that a Christian can grow unless he's characterized by a life of praise. Praise again puts us in the flow of growth. Let me give you a simple and wonderful verse. Psalm 50 verse 23 says this, Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me.

Oh, what a great statement. You want to glorify God? Then offer praise. Offer praise.

You see, another very simple, very practical thing. It isn't stained glass windows and organ music. It is simply fruitfulness. It is simply the humility of faith and trusting. It is the humility of confession. It is the humility of bowing to the Lordship of Christ at any cost.

And it is the humility again of praise that puts us in the path of growth. I really believe that proud people don't praise God. They're too busy praising themselves. Humble people do. People who are in awe of God.

People whose focus is on God. And in their humility, they pour out of their hearts praise. Now, this is so much a part of God's pattern for His people that He literally gave them a hymn book filled with praise that we call the Psalms. The Psalms were those great hymns that were really sung and said by the people of Israel. And God wanted them known and said because they are constantly offering praise to Him. And that is as it should be, for He is worthy.

For example, in Psalms, and I'll just show you a couple of examples. Psalm 86, first of all, and verse 9. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name, for thou art great and doest wondrous things. Thou art God alone. Great statement.

Just great. Verse 12. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify thy name forevermore. Praising Him is equated with giving Him glory. Praising God.

Very important. Now, what does it mean to praise? True praise involves three things biblically. Number one, true praise means you recite God's attributes. You recite God's attributes. You see, praise is the expression of the character of God, who He really is. Oh, it's a great thing.

True praise recites the attributes of God. I know in my own life this is a very important thing. You have these little things in your life and you got some problem you can't solve.

And instead of saying, oh, what a terrible problem. How are we going to get this done? We just don't seem to have the resources, Lord.

We need this thing. You know, we don't have any money or whatever it is. And then you stop and say, Lord, You are bigger than history, Lord. You own everything in the entire universe. God, You can do anything You want to do. God, You said You loved us and You promised we'd never be without the things we need, that You'd take care of us if You take care of the grass of the field. God, You are one who has promised that Your character is at our disposal, Your power is amassed in our behalf, et cetera, et cetera. You see how much better You're going to feel? And You're going to glorify God. That's the first element.

Second one is this. Glorifying God and praising God is not only a matter of reciting His attributes, but reciting His works as well, for His attributes are on display in His works. And true praise is that. That's why you see so many times in the Psalms you hear a repetition of what God has done. Oh God, You're the God who parted the Red Sea. Oh God, You're the God who brought the people out of Egypt. God, You're the God who parted the river. You're the God who made the water flow from the rock. You're the God who fed us with manna in the wilderness.

You're the God who destroyed the enemies and made the walls of Jericho fall, and et cetera, and et cetera, and et cetera. You see, this is lifting up and exalting God. That's what praise is all about.

You see, basically we struggle a lot in our lives because we don't truly define our God and we don't record for our own edification the record of His performance in the past. And that's what praise is. So that praise is not only glorifying to God for its own value because it speaks truth about Him, but it is glorifying to God because it affirms our confidence in Him. And thus do we glorify God, first of all, by reciting His attributes, secondly, by reciting His works, and then thirdly, by saying thanks for both.

I believe in the midst of praise and at the very heart of it is a thankful expression. So that praise now, what I'm saying is praise is not only distant, is not only God, that's who you are. Oh, praise your name.

God, that's what you've done. Oh, praise your name. But thanks that you are that and you've done that in my life.

See, it brings praise right down to where we live. Now what have we learned? Spiritual growth is a matter of glorifying God. We will grow when our lives are filled with praise. We will grow when our lives are filled with fruit and fruitfulness. And we will grow when our lives are characterized by trusting God. This is Grace to You with John MacArthur.

Thanks for being with us. John's current study is titled Back to Basics. It's a look at the fundamentals of Christianity. John, these basic truths you're looking at, every Christian can benefit from knowing them and knowing all of Scripture better. This time of year, our listeners have an opportunity to give their loved ones some great tools for digging deeper into God's Word, and I know you have some suggestions about that.

I do, and this is one that I'm really happy to make. It's the book called Biblical Doctrine. It is 1,100 pages, and I just want to explain for those who might not know what biblical doctrine is. It's a systematic theology, and how important is that?

Here's how you know how important it is. Scripture is teaching doctrine. By doctrine, we mean a principle, a propositional truth. What you do when you explain the Bible is you draw out the truth, the truth out of every passage, every verse, every phrase, and you're building all that truth together. And over the years, collecting all that truth in the study of the Scripture, you begin to brick by brick build a strong, systematic theology.

We were talking about this the other day. The Bible is incredibly cohesive. Single author, God is the author. There are no contradictions in the Bible, and you see that when you start to put all the bricks together from out of every single passage, and it comes together to be this strong, powerful doctrine book. And so when you have this book, you can look up any doctrine, and it'll give you a full explanation of what the passages in the Scripture teach about that doctrine. Biblical doctrine is the sum of the study of the whole of Scripture, and it collects all the doctrines that come out of that summation.

Powerful, powerful tool. Every Christian should have this detailed, orderly study of doctrine. And then I would like to mention another book that might be a really good Christmas gift, 12 Unlikely Heroes.

Everybody likes a great story. These are drawn out of the Bible. Stories of John the Baptist, Joseph, Gideon, Miriam, Samson, and seven more hardcover, 220 pages. And then again, the MacArthur Study Bible. Always popular for Christmas gifts, 25,000 footnotes, every passage, the New American Standard, the ESV, the NKJV hardcover, leather, goatskin premium, all of these things. And with every MacArthur Bible, we'll send you a free copy, while they last, of one foundation, a collection of essays by fellow Bible teachers put together for grace to use first 50 years. Order today.

Yes, friend, these gifts are great options for anyone who wants to understand better the Bible and grow in his or her love for God's word. To order Biblical doctrine, the MacArthur Study Bible, or 12 Unlikely Heroes, contact us today. To order online, go to gty.org and choose the second day shipping option to ensure delivery before Christmas. Or place your order by phone. You can call us at 800-55-GRACE.

Our staff is here to help you Monday through Friday, 730 to 4 o'clock Pacific Time, and they will make sure you get the right shipping option on your order. Our phone number again, 800-55-GRACE, and our website, gty.org. And if you're grateful that our Bible teaching is reaching your community, if you want to help us connect God's people with Biblical truth that changes lives, I'd encourage you to support us with a year-end gift. Giving to your local church comes first, we affirm that, but we're grateful for whatever you can give beyond that. To help take God's word to people in your area and around the world, mail your tax-deductible donation to Grace To You, Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412. And you can also give online at gty.org, or when you call us at 800-55-GRACE. Now for John MacArthur, I'm Phil Johnson, encouraging you to be here tomorrow when John continues his study called Back to Basics, with another half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time, on Tuesday's Grace To You.