Are You an Intentional Christian?
By Pastor Joseph Clark
Life does not simply happen to us. At least, it should not. There are circumstances we cannot control. There are things that happen to us that we never anticipated, and there are seasons when we have little choice over what comes our way. But within all of that, God has given us something extraordinarily important:
The freedom to choose how we will live before Him.
We should never be content merely to hope that our faith is genuine. We are called to deliberately follow Christ, deliberately obey His Word, deliberately love others, deliberately serve, deliberately grow—and deliberately bear fruit. The Christian life is not a spectator sport.
Let me be absolutely clear: we are not saved by our good works. The Bible teaches that salvation is by grace through faith, not something we earn through religious accomplishments or our own efforts. We cannot purchase forgiveness by doing enough good deeds. We cannot impress God into saving us.
Paul writes:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works.”
Ephesians 2:8–9
Amen.
But sometimes Christians stop reading there. The very next verse says:
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10
Notice the order. We are not saved by good works. We are saved for good works. Works are not the root of our salvation; they are supposed to be the fruit of our salvation.
That distinction is absolutely essential. A person does not become a Christian because he produces fruit. Rather, because he has been brought into Christ, his life should increasingly begin to produce fruit.
I have observed that some Christians use the “by faith, not works” argument as a cop-out to justify a lazy, fruitless walk.
Jesus Himself said:
“By their fruit you will recognize them.”
Matthew 7:16
He did not say, “Don’t worry about fruit because you believe.” He said:
“Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”
Matthew 7:17
There is a dangerous misunderstanding that can sometimes enter Christian thinking. A person says, “I am saved by faith and not works.” That statement is true. But then he concludes, “Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether my life produces anything.”
That conclusion is not biblical.
James puts the matter bluntly:
“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
James 2:17
James isn’t teaching that we purchase salvation by our deeds. He is teaching that genuine faith is living faith.
If I tell you that I have a fire burning in my house, but you enter the house and find no heat, no light, no flame, and no evidence whatsoever of fire, you would have good reason to question my claim.
In the same way, if someone claims to belong to Christ but deliberately refuses to grow, refuses to obey, refuses to serve, refuses to love, refuses to forgive, and refuses to bear any spiritual fruit, we should not simply congratulate that person by saying, “Well, you’re saved by faith, so none of that matters.”
Jesus never taught such complacency.
Consider one of the most sobering statements Jesus ever made. In Matthew 7:21–23, Jesus describes people who will stand before Him on the day of judgment. They will say that they did things in His name. And Jesus will say:
“I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
Matthew 7:23
That should cause every professing Christian to pause.
Jesus did not say, “You weren’t sincere enough.” He did not say, “You didn’t perform enough religious deeds.” He said, “I never knew you.”
The issue is ultimately relationship with Christ.
Likewise, Jesus gives a similar warning in the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Some of the virgins were complacent and unprepared for the bridegroom. When he arrived, they were shut out of the wedding feast. The warning is unmistakable: we must not live carelessly or presume upon the grace of God.
A person can say the right things, use Christian vocabulary, attend church, perform religious activities, and even speak about Jesus—and yet not actually belong to Him.
This is why we should never merely sit back and say, “I hope my faith is genuine.” We should examine our lives. We should pursue Christ. We should repent when we sin. We should seek holiness. We should love our neighbor. We should forgive. We should serve. We should pray. We should study God’s Word. We should proclaim the Gospel. We should bear fruit.
Not because these things purchase our salvation—but because Christ has saved us and called us to live differently.
Our fruitfulness should also be expressed through obedience to Christ’s Great Commission.
Jesus said:
“I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”
John 15:16
That is not passive language.
Go. Bear fruit.
Christ did not save us so that we could sit comfortably on the sidelines of Christianity. He called us into a life of purpose.
Jesus also said:
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
John 15:8
There is that word again: fruit.
Fruit is evidence of life.
Wake Up and Bear Fruit
Do you see what is happening in this fallen world today?
Paganism. False religions.
They are boldly, deliberately, and intentionally seeking to influence and claim the hearts and minds of people throughout the world.
Our answer should be bold, fruitful evangelism!
Wake up!
Use your God-given gifts in any way you can to share His Gospel.
An apple tree doesn’t produce apples in order to become an apple tree. It produces apples because it is an apple tree.
Likewise, Christians don’t perform good works in order to become God’s children. We bear fruit because, through faith in Christ, God has made us His children.
This brings us back to our central question:
What are you going to do with the life God has given you?
You cannot choose every circumstance. But you can choose whether you will trust God in those circumstances.
You can choose whether you will forgive.
You can choose whether you will serve.
You can choose whether you will encourage someone who is discouraged.
You can choose whether you will open your Bible.
You can choose whether you will pray.
You can choose whether you will share your faith.
You can choose whether you will repent.
You can choose whether you will obey Christ when obedience is difficult.
You can choose whether your Christianity will be merely something you claim—or something you deliberately live.
Paul told the Philippians:
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
Philippians 2:12
Paul did not mean, “Work for your salvation.” He was writing to people who were already Christians. The meaning is that the salvation God has worked into your life should be worked out in the way you live.
Your faith should become visible.
Your character should change.
Your priorities should change.
Your relationships should change.
Your choices should change.
Your life should increasingly resemble the Christ you profess to follow.
There is a difference between saying, “I hope I’m a faithful Christian,” and saying, “By the grace of God, I will deliberately seek to become a faithful Christian.”
The first can become passive.
The second is intentional.
What Will You Do With What God Has Given You?
Do you remember the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14–30?
Are you the servant who was given one talent and buried it in the ground rather than using it?
To that servant, the master said:
“You wicked, lazy servant!”
Matthew 25:26
The judgment concludes:
“And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 25:30
Or are you the servant to whom the Lord will say:
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Matthew 25:21
Let me pause and ask you right now:
Is this message off-putting to you? Does this message offend you?
If so, ask yourself: Why?
Why does God’s Word—and a message consistent with His Word—bother you?
And don’t misunderstand me: you cannot manufacture spiritual fruit through human strength.
Jesus said:
“Apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
Fruit comes from abiding in Christ.
But abiding in Christ is not passive indifference.
We choose to remain close to Him.
We choose obedience.
We choose repentance.
We choose prayer.
We choose service.
We choose faithfulness.
We choose to say yes when Christ calls.
In the Parable of the Talents, one servant received one talent and buried it. He did not steal it. He did not destroy it. He simply did nothing with it.
When the master returned, the servant had an excuse. But the master condemned him.
Why?
Because what had been entrusted to him was intended to be used.
There is a warning here for Christians who have been given time, abilities, opportunities, spiritual gifts, knowledge, and resources but deliberately refuse to use them for God’s purposes.
God did not give you your life merely to consume it.
He gave you a life that can be offered back to Him.
Jesus also told of a fig tree that was not producing fruit. The owner came looking for fruit and found none. The tree was occupying valuable ground, but it was not fulfilling the purpose for which it existed.
That should make us think.
What is your Christian life producing?
Are people encouraged because you know Christ?
Are people helped because you serve?
Are people forgiven because you have learned to forgive?
Are people hearing the Gospel because you are willing to speak?
Are people seeing Christ in your conduct?
Are you becoming more patient?
More loving?
More humble?
More truthful?
More generous?
More courageous?
More obedient?
Has God given you talents or resources such as public influence, good oratory, conversational skills, a good computer, social media, or other online tools?
Use them for Christ.
Do you enjoy Christian podcasts, Christian articles, or Christian music?
Share them online with others.
Do you know someone who is in need or grieving?
Be present to them.
Let them know you are praying for them.
Pray for them!
Make a prayer list and pray daily.
Pray for this fallen world.
Reassure others of the coming of Christ.
Use whatever God has entrusted to you to advance His Kingdom and proclaim His Gospel.
What fruit is your life producing?
You Don’t Have to Be Famous to Be Fruitful
You don’t have to be famous to be fruitful.
You don’t have to preach to thousands.
You don’t have to write books.
You don’t have to stand behind a pulpit.
A mother raising her children in the faith can be fruitful.
A man encouraging a discouraged neighbor can be fruitful.
A Christian visiting the lonely can be fruitful.
Someone praying faithfully for another person can be fruitful.
A believer forgiving an enemy can be fruitful.
A Christian refusing to participate in gossip can be fruitful.
Someone quietly giving to help another person can be fruitful.
Fruitfulness isn’t necessarily spectacular.
Sometimes the greatest Christian fruit is produced quietly, where only God sees it.
Jesus said:
“Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:4
Your life will not be perfect.
You will fail.
You will sin.
You will sometimes become discouraged.
You will occasionally make terrible decisions.
But don’t confuse failure with fruitlessness.
A fruitful Christian is not a perfect Christian. A fruitful Christian is an obedient Christian who keeps turning toward Christ.
When he falls, he gets back up.
When he sins, he repents.
When he fails, he seeks God’s grace.
When he becomes discouraged, he keeps walking.
When God opens a door, he walks through it.
When Christ calls, he responds.
That is deliberate Christianity.
So don’t merely sit back and hope that your faith is genuine.
Pursue Christ.
Don’t use salvation by faith as an excuse for spiritual laziness.
Bear fruit.
Don’t try to earn God’s love through good works.
Serve because you have already received His grace.
Don’t live as though your life is something that merely happens to you.
By the grace of God, choose to make it count.
Jesus said:
“By their fruit you will recognize them.”
And He also said:
“I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”
The Christian life is not about earning salvation.
It is about living out the salvation you have received.
So get up.
Pray. Believe. Repent. Obey. Serve. Love. Forgive. Speak. Give. Go.
Create content.
Share content.
Practice charity.
Use your talents in any way you can to share the Kingdom of Christ and reach pagans, non-believers, and those who do not yet know Jesus Christ.
Bear fruit.
You have been given one life.
Don’t merely wait to see what happens to it.
With Christ, deliberately choose what you will do with it.
And may your life bear fruit—not for your own glory, but for the glory of the One who saved you.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
AMEN. AMEN. AMEN!
Are You an Intentional Christian?
By Pastor Joseph Clark
Life does not simply happen to us. At least, it should not. There are circumstances we cannot control. There are things that happen to us that we never anticipated, and there are seasons when we have little choice over what comes our way. But within all of that, God has given us something extraordinarily important:
The freedom to choose how we will live before Him.
We should never be content merely to hope that our faith is genuine. We are called to deliberately follow Christ, deliberately obey His Word, deliberately love others, deliberately serve, deliberately grow—and deliberately bear fruit. The Christian life is not a spectator sport.
Let me be absolutely clear: we are not saved by our good works. The Bible teaches that salvation is by grace through faith, not something we earn through religious accomplishments or our own efforts. We cannot purchase forgiveness by doing enough good deeds. We cannot impress God into saving us.
Paul writes:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works.”
Ephesians 2:8–9
Amen.
But sometimes Christians stop reading there. The very next verse says:
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10
Notice the order. We are not saved by good works. We are saved for good works. Works are not the root of our salvation; they are supposed to be the fruit of our salvation.
That distinction is absolutely essential. A person does not become a Christian because he produces fruit. Rather, because he has been brought into Christ, his life should increasingly begin to produce fruit.
I have observed that some Christians use the “by faith, not works” argument as a cop-out to justify a lazy, fruitless walk.
Jesus Himself said:
“By their fruit you will recognize them.”
Matthew 7:16
He did not say, “Don’t worry about fruit because you believe.” He said:
“Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”
Matthew 7:17
There is a dangerous misunderstanding that can sometimes enter Christian thinking. A person says, “I am saved by faith and not works.” That statement is true. But then he concludes, “Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether my life produces anything.”
That conclusion is not biblical.
James puts the matter bluntly:
“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
James 2:17
James isn’t teaching that we purchase salvation by our deeds. He is teaching that genuine faith is living faith.
If I tell you that I have a fire burning in my house, but you enter the house and find no heat, no light, no flame, and no evidence whatsoever of fire, you would have good reason to question my claim.
In the same way, if someone claims to belong to Christ but deliberately refuses to grow, refuses to obey, refuses to serve, refuses to love, refuses to forgive, and refuses to bear any spiritual fruit, we should not simply congratulate that person by saying, “Well, you’re saved by faith, so none of that matters.”
Jesus never taught such complacency.
Consider one of the most sobering statements Jesus ever made. In Matthew 7:21–23, Jesus describes people who will stand before Him on the day of judgment. They will say that they did things in His name. And Jesus will say:
“I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
Matthew 7:23
That should cause every professing Christian to pause.
Jesus did not say, “You weren’t sincere enough.” He did not say, “You didn’t perform enough religious deeds.” He said, “I never knew you.”
The issue is ultimately relationship with Christ.
Likewise, Jesus gives a similar warning in the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Some of the virgins were complacent and unprepared for the bridegroom. When he arrived, they were shut out of the wedding feast. The warning is unmistakable: we must not live carelessly or presume upon the grace of God.
A person can say the right things, use Christian vocabulary, attend church, perform religious activities, and even speak about Jesus—and yet not actually belong to Him.
This is why we should never merely sit back and say, “I hope my faith is genuine.” We should examine our lives. We should pursue Christ. We should repent when we sin. We should seek holiness. We should love our neighbor. We should forgive. We should serve. We should pray. We should study God’s Word. We should proclaim the Gospel. We should bear fruit.
Not because these things purchase our salvation—but because Christ has saved us and called us to live differently.
Our fruitfulness should also be expressed through obedience to Christ’s Great Commission.
Jesus said:
“I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”
John 15:16
That is not passive language.
Go. Bear fruit.
Christ did not save us so that we could sit comfortably on the sidelines of Christianity. He called us into a life of purpose.
Jesus also said:
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
John 15:8
There is that word again: fruit.
Fruit is evidence of life.
Wake Up and Bear Fruit
Do you see what is happening in this fallen world today?
Paganism. False religions.
They are boldly, deliberately, and intentionally seeking to influence and claim the hearts and minds of people throughout the world.
Our answer should be bold, fruitful evangelism!
Wake up!
Use your God-given gifts in any way you can to share His Gospel.
An apple tree doesn’t produce apples in order to become an apple tree. It produces apples because it is an apple tree.
Likewise, Christians don’t perform good works in order to become God’s children. We bear fruit because, through faith in Christ, God has made us His children.
This brings us back to our central question:
What are you going to do with the life God has given you?
You cannot choose every circumstance. But you can choose whether you will trust God in those circumstances.
You can choose whether you will forgive.
You can choose whether you will serve.
You can choose whether you will encourage someone who is discouraged.
You can choose whether you will open your Bible.
You can choose whether you will pray.
You can choose whether you will share your faith.
You can choose whether you will repent.
You can choose whether you will obey Christ when obedience is difficult.
You can choose whether your Christianity will be merely something you claim—or something you deliberately live.
Paul told the Philippians:
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
Philippians 2:12
Paul did not mean, “Work for your salvation.” He was writing to people who were already Christians. The meaning is that the salvation God has worked into your life should be worked out in the way you live.
Your faith should become visible.
Your character should change.
Your priorities should change.
Your relationships should change.
Your choices should change.
Your life should increasingly resemble the Christ you profess to follow.
There is a difference between saying, “I hope I’m a faithful Christian,” and saying, “By the grace of God, I will deliberately seek to become a faithful Christian.”
The first can become passive.
The second is intentional.
What Will You Do With What God Has Given You?
Do you remember the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14–30?
Are you the servant who was given one talent and buried it in the ground rather than using it?
To that servant, the master said:
“You wicked, lazy servant!”
Matthew 25:26
The judgment concludes:
“And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 25:30
Or are you the servant to whom the Lord will say:
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Matthew 25:21
Let me pause and ask you right now:
Is this message off-putting to you? Does this message offend you?
If so, ask yourself: Why?
Why does God’s Word—and a message consistent with His Word—bother you?
And don’t misunderstand me: you cannot manufacture spiritual fruit through human strength.
Jesus said:
“Apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
Fruit comes from abiding in Christ.
But abiding in Christ is not passive indifference.
We choose to remain close to Him.
We choose obedience.
We choose repentance.
We choose prayer.
We choose service.
We choose faithfulness.
We choose to say yes when Christ calls.
In the Parable of the Talents, one servant received one talent and buried it. He did not steal it. He did not destroy it. He simply did nothing with it.
When the master returned, the servant had an excuse. But the master condemned him.
Why?
Because what had been entrusted to him was intended to be used.
There is a warning here for Christians who have been given time, abilities, opportunities, spiritual gifts, knowledge, and resources but deliberately refuse to use them for God’s purposes.
God did not give you your life merely to consume it.
He gave you a life that can be offered back to Him.
Jesus also told of a fig tree that was not producing fruit. The owner came looking for fruit and found none. The tree was occupying valuable ground, but it was not fulfilling the purpose for which it existed.
That should make us think.
What is your Christian life producing?
Are people encouraged because you know Christ?
Are people helped because you serve?
Are people forgiven because you have learned to forgive?
Are people hearing the Gospel because you are willing to speak?
Are people seeing Christ in your conduct?
Are you becoming more patient?
More loving?
More humble?
More truthful?
More generous?
More courageous?
More obedient?
Has God given you talents or resources such as public influence, good oratory, conversational skills, a good computer, social media, or other online tools?
Use them for Christ.
Do you enjoy Christian podcasts, Christian articles, or Christian music?
Share them online with others.
Do you know someone who is in need or grieving?
Be present to them.
Let them know you are praying for them.
Pray for them!
Make a prayer list and pray daily.
Pray for this fallen world.
Reassure others of the coming of Christ.
Use whatever God has entrusted to you to advance His Kingdom and proclaim His Gospel.
What fruit is your life producing?
You Don’t Have to Be Famous to Be Fruitful
You don’t have to be famous to be fruitful.
You don’t have to preach to thousands.
You don’t have to write books.
You don’t have to stand behind a pulpit.
A mother raising her children in the faith can be fruitful.
A man encouraging a discouraged neighbor can be fruitful.
A Christian visiting the lonely can be fruitful.
Someone praying faithfully for another person can be fruitful.
A believer forgiving an enemy can be fruitful.
A Christian refusing to participate in gossip can be fruitful.
Someone quietly giving to help another person can be fruitful.
Fruitfulness isn’t necessarily spectacular.
Sometimes the greatest Christian fruit is produced quietly, where only God sees it.
Jesus said:
“Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:4
Your life will not be perfect.
You will fail.
You will sin.
You will sometimes become discouraged.
You will occasionally make terrible decisions.
But don’t confuse failure with fruitlessness.
A fruitful Christian is not a perfect Christian. A fruitful Christian is an obedient Christian who keeps turning toward Christ.
When he falls, he gets back up.
When he sins, he repents.
When he fails, he seeks God’s grace.
When he becomes discouraged, he keeps walking.
When God opens a door, he walks through it.
When Christ calls, he responds.
That is deliberate Christianity.
So don’t merely sit back and hope that your faith is genuine.
Pursue Christ.
Don’t use salvation by faith as an excuse for spiritual laziness.
Bear fruit.
Don’t try to earn God’s love through good works.
Serve because you have already received His grace.
Don’t live as though your life is something that merely happens to you.
By the grace of God, choose to make it count.
Jesus said:
“By their fruit you will recognize them.”
And He also said:
“I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”
The Christian life is not about earning salvation.
It is about living out the salvation you have received.
So get up.
Pray. Believe. Repent. Obey. Serve. Love. Forgive. Speak. Give. Go.
Create content.
Share content.
Practice charity.
Use your talents in any way you can to share the Kingdom of Christ and reach pagans, non-believers, and those who do not yet know Jesus Christ.
Bear fruit.
You have been given one life.
Don’t merely wait to see what happens to it.
With Christ, deliberately choose what you will do with it.
And may your life bear fruit—not for your own glory, but for the glory of the One who saved you.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
AMEN. AMEN. AMEN!
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