How God Makes Fruit

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

May 29, 2025

How God Makes Fruit

But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 

1 Timothy 1:16

We recall that in John 15, Jesus’ imperative is that his disciples will make much fruit for the Kingdom of God. Here in 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul shows us how God can use us to make fruit for His Kingdom.

First, a bit on context. Timothy was the Apostle Paul’s protégé and served as pastor of the church in Ephesus. Paul was writing to encourage Timothy and to give him instructions regarding prayer, worship and the proper administration of the church. Paul makes two points in chapter one that show us how God makes fruit.

The first point is in verse five where Paul states the purpose of Christian education is that “all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.” Paul is pointing us here toward new life in Christ as he did in Philippians 2:5 when he urged us to let “our bearings with one another arise out of our life in Christ.” The goal of a Christian is loftier than just gaining information about Jesus, or even to be inspired by Jesus’ life. Our goal is to allow Jesus to transform our lives so that we become like Him.

The second point is in the verse quoted above. Like Paul, as we seek to make the life in Christ our way of life, as we live the Christ-life, others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

My Takeaway: Yesterday, I recalled how I misspoke and said I was a retired minister. Remembering that I am still in ministry, together with today’s text reminding me my mission is to make much fruit for God’s Kingdom, help me stay in the grace for today.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then PrayMy Takeaway:

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.