May 27

Charles Spurgeon · Faith's Checkbook

AS THE LIFE -- SO THE FRUIT

   "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall
   neither be barren nor fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
   Christ" II 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.