“FRUITS OF SURRENDER”

"with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,"

Ephesians 4:2

You’ve heard it—the church is not the building, but the people who put their trust in Christ and whose hearts are surrendered to God. But how do we know if our hearts are actually surrendered to God? There will be fruits that manifest this ceding.

Yesterday, we learned that there must be a balance between our calling and conduct. Today, we will zoom in on how we are to present ourselves as followers of Christ.

In this section of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he exhorts believers to live in such a manner that matches their Christian calling. He lists four traits, beginning with humility. Interestingly, this word did not exist in Paul's time. Christians likely coined this term to describe a quality for which no other name was available (MacArthur). Humility is foundational to the Christian faith; it is the first of the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3) and describes Christ's humility. Not only is humility a requirement to enter God's Kingdom, but it is also a prerequisite to be great in God's Kingdom (Matthew 20:26-27). Jesus is our model of humility. Just as He came to the world not to be served but to serve, we also must be a servant of others.

Gentleness comes as the second trait of a genuine believer. Others view gentleness as a sign of weakness. However, that's not how the Bible defines it. Gentleness is rooted in humility and a result of gratitude towards God. It is demonstrated as restrained behavior toward others, which is a sign of strength. Why, because only a powerful person can control his strength. A Christian does not become gentle by sheer will and determination; instead, he learns to control himself as he yields to the Holy Spirit.

The third characteristic is patience. In the eyes of the world, patience is passivity or gentle tolerance. However, biblical patience is, first and foremost, a manifestation of the Holy Spirit's fruit in a believer's life. The Bible describes patience as persevering towards a goal, enduring trials, and waiting to fulfill God's promises with expectant hope. Patience is a life-long process and does not develop overnight. It takes divine power to transform us from hot-tempered individuals to patient, self-controlled disciples of Christ.

What binds these three characteristics together is love, the supreme Christian virtue. This kind of love is not caused by emotion or physical attraction. We don't love people because we get something from them—at least, that's not the biblical definition of the word. Genuine love is sacrificing for others. It is selfless, without ill motives, and is not proud.

When we exhibit these traits, we prove that we are surrendered to Christ. When we demonstrate these characteristics, the beautiful picture of the ideal church turns into a reality. Our surrender to Christ is seen in how we honor God and value one another.

Pursue the Savior today!