What Do Christians Do? The Fruit Of Christians

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

What Do Christians Do?

Looking around at the observable Christian world can be confusing. Especially to outsiders. There are different worship service styles, different activities, different personalities, different denominations. Getting a concrete understanding of what Christians do by observing the activities of people who call themselves “Christians” could be difficult. From traditional to contemporary, charismatic to more subdued, megachurch congregations to home churches, it really seems like a hard question to answer definitively. Let us look to the Scriptures to define what Christians are supposed to do.

So, what do Christians do? The answer to this question is actually very simple: Christians worship. We worship the one true living God through Jesus Christ the Son of God. Worship is presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1). Some of the activities that this worship includes are: discipline, corporate worship, sacrificial love, and the proclamation of Christ. This worship may look a little different in varying contexts but the heart of the activity must remain the same.

The Scriptures lay the foundation for Christian beliefs and practices. Let’s look to the Scriptures to help us define and learn more about how we are to worship the living God in a way that is acceptable in the sight of the One our worship is directed toward. 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 Apostle Paul gives the foundation and motivation for the Christian life in the first 12 chapters of Romans. Then he commands those who believe in Jesus Christ for salvation to present their bodies as a living sacrifice. He tells us that this presenting of our bodies as a living sacrifice IS our spiritual worship!

This is NOT an option! It is a command! It is what we exist to do.

This command is for those who understand what Paul spoke about in the first 12 chapters of Romans. It’s for those who truly believe. It’s what we lived in rebellion against before we were reconciled to God through faith in Christ. Those who have turned to Jesus now (however imperfectly) present their bodies to the Lord as a living sacrifice.

The Christian is no longer his or her own. They have been purchased with a great price, the blood of Jesus, the Son of God. Now the Christian is to live for the praise and glory of God, through the risen Lord, Jesus the Christ.

How this looks in practice will often differ in the particulars. But the general activities are always the same. They are:

Discipline
Corporate worship
Sacrificial love, and
The proclamation of Christ.

We will deal with each of these facets in a little more detail below. For more understanding on why Christians should worship God see our articles:

The Discipline of Christ

Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock, And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, 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)

The word discipline and the word disciple are closely related. They share the same root. A disciple is one who follows the teaching and instruction of a person or a way.

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

Often the word discipline takes a negative connotation. It’s thought of as a punishment. But there is a positive sense to the word, too. Many professions and academic spheres refer to their practices and ways as a discipline. It must be followed. If it’s not followed, it is no longer a part of that discipline. Christianity is the same. Just as there are lines which distinguish the academic disciplines of physics and biology, there are lines that distinguish the discipline of following Christ from all other pursuits.

In order to follow the teaching and way of Jesus Christ, Christians must know the discipline of Christ. This requires the disciple to be constantly nourished by the Word of God and be in prayer for guidance and direction. Because we walk with a living God who loves us and desires our godliness as His children, God does also bring correction into the lives of disciples of Christ when we begin to get off the path He has set before us.

Without the discipline of the Lord, we are illegitimate children.

If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Hebrews 12:8)

The evidence of the discipline of the Lord in your life is meant to be a strong encouragement that you 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 listening to this sermon on Hebrews 12 which discussed:

Howell Bible Church · Hebrews 12 - The Fruit Of Discipline

Corporate Worship

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)

The Christian’s love for God is demonstrated (at least in part) in and by his/her love for God’s people. It is a contradiction of Scripture to say, “I love God but don’t love the church.” Such a response makes the one who professes it a liar according to the Bible.

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)

A large and important part of Christian activity is corporate worship and fellowship with other believers. Jesus at the end of His earthly ministry said,

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down His life for His friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:12-14)

Gathering together with other believers on a regular basis to worship God together through singing praise, studying God’s word, 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 and we need to provide it for others, too.

Sacrificial Love

Knowing love, true love, is only possible by knowing God. The world’s standards and definitions are lower. God shows His own love in a surprising way.

But God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

It is by this dramatic and lavish display that we know 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)

The Christian loves Christ’s church. This is not a superficial love that says, “be warm and well fed” (James 2:16). Instead, it is a deep and sacrificial love. A love that gives of themselves and their possessions. That gives of their time and considers how to put the needs of others above their own.

Sacrificial love does not stop with the church. But it is also manifested to the unbelieving world. The Christian demonstrates this love by praying for and proclaiming Christ to them.

For more on this, don’t miss our article on the sacrificial love of Christ: They Crucified Him.

Proclamation of Christ

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)

Faith comes by hearing. Hearing comes through the word of Christ. We who know Christ should be eager to proclaim His excellencies, goodness, and glory from the rooftops. Even if we are hesitant, we must understand that each Christian has received the ministry of reconciliation as part of our Christian life. Again, the particulars may be different depending on our context. Yet, all Christians are ministers of reconciliation.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

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.

This love is demonstrated, in part, by telling the world of of the glory of God. Pointing out their sin and their condemnation in love and also pointing them to the solution: a great Savior and High Priest who is able to forgive our sins and give us newness of life. Then pleading with them to be made right with God through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is both Lord and Savior.

In the passage from 2 Corinthians 5 (above), the Apostle Paul makes a direct link between all who born-again and in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and those who have received the ministry of reconciliation (all who are made new in Christ - 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). 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?

Our salvation is too important to take for granted. Some foolishly say we should never question our salvation. The Scriptures encourage us to,

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12, bold added).

Jesus tells us,

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)

What does your fruit say about the state of your soul? Is the fruit on your tree filled with discipline, corporate worship, sacrificial love, and the proclamation of Christ? If so, then be encouraged! Continue in these things until the end. But if your fruit shows little to none of these things, or if they are superficial at best, then please know that this is a poor indicator of spiritual health according to the biblical testimony.

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?