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  AS THE LIFE -- SO THE FRUIT
  by C.H. Spurgeon
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Summary: True fruitfulness in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
requires inner fruitfulness, which is cultivated through essential
graces such as faith, virtue, and brotherly love.

Topics: "Spiritual Growth", "Fruitfulness in Faith"
Scripture References: Galatians 5:22, 2 Peter 1:8

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DESCRIPTION
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C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that to glorify the Lord through fruitfulness,
we must cultivate certain virtues within us, starting with faith as the
foundation. He explains that qualities such as virtue, knowledge,
temperance, patience, godliness, and brotherly love must not only be
present but also abound in our lives to prevent barrenness. Spurgeon
warns that mere knowledge without these graces leads to unfruitfulness,
and that true usefulness in the Kingdom of God comes from being filled
with these virtues. He encourages believers to reflect on their
spiritual state and strive for growth in grace to produce meaningful
fruit in their lives.

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CONTENT
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For if these thing be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ. (2 Peter 1:8)

If we desire to glorify our Lord by fruitfulness, we must have certain
things within us; for nothing can come out of us which is not first of
all within us. We must begin with faith, which is the groundwork of all
the virtues; and then diligently add to it virtue, knowledge,
temperance, and patience. With these we must have godliness and
brotherly love. All these put together will most assuredly cause us to
produce, as our life fruit, the clusters of usefulness, and we shall not
be mere idle knowers but real doers of the Word. These holy things must
not only be in us, but abound, or we shall be barren.

Fruit is the overflow of life, and we must be full before we can flow
over.

We have noticed men of considerable parts and opportunities who have
never succeeded in doing real good in the conversion of souls; and after
close observation we have concluded that they lacked certain graces
which are absolutely essential to fruit bearing. For real usefulness,
graces are better than gifts. As the man is, so is his work. If we would
do better, we must be better. Let the text be a gentle hint to
unfruitful professors and to myself also.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/ch-spurgeon/as-the-life-so-the-fruit/
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