A Gospel View of Ezraنموونە

Fruitfulness

In our journey through the book of Ezra, we’ve seen that God is faithful to fulfill His promises to redeem and restore us through Jesus and that it’s Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to be faithful in our God-assigned work. Today, let’s reflect on how Ezra’s faithfulness in the role God gave him resulted in great fruitfulness. It’s the life of Christ in us, as we prayerfully depend on Him, that enables us to be fruitful (the third F) in accomplishing God’s purposes for us.

Ezra chapters 1–6 tell the story of the return of the first group of Jewish exiles to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple. Ezra chapters 7­–10 record the return of the second group of exiles, under Ezra, and the subsequent spiritual reformation. Upon his return, Ezra focused on restoring God’s Word in the hearts of a backslidden people. The men of Judah had married idol-worshiping women who were leading them away from worshiping God. Ezra responded decisively and drastically to the people’s disobedience (Ezra 9:6, 10:3), helping them to remove sinful practices from their society. This led to a national revival (Ezra 10:12–13). Ezra’s faithful work resulted in great fruitfulness: God’s people were restored to a right relationship with Him.

All this reflects the work of Christ in our lives, too. Our spiritual union with Jesus creates in us a new desire for holiness, for God, and for heaven. It’s not that we can’t sin. It’s that we don’t want to sin. You may not have seen it this way, but your desire not to sin is a sign that you are living a fruitful life. Our spiritual fruitfulness then spills over into practical fruitfulness, whereby we use the gifts God has given us to bless those around us. Ask God to open your eyes to opportunities you currently have to serve your family, neighbors, or church community. Consider your career space as an area in which you can bear fruit for God’s Kingdom. What’s your next step? The new life we receive in Christ can ensure that our work is carried out, not in frustrating self-dependent toil, but rather in restful God-dependent trust that results in gospel-shaped fruitfulness, as we see in Ezra’s story.

Take time to celebrate that it’s the life of Christ in you, as you prayerfully depend on Him, that enables you to be fruitful in accomplishing God’s purposes for your life, which in turn accomplishes His purposes for His church and His world. May you follow the example of Ezra, who trusted God to fulfill His promises and so was faithful and fruitful and God’s work flourished in his hands. By the Spirit’s power, may this be true for you as you join God in His work wherever He has placed you.

This plan was adapted from the series, A Gospel View of Ezra, on RightNow Media. To find out more, visit: https://www.rightnowmedia.org/af/get-access