Matthew 13.23 records the person who hears the word and understands it bears fruit.
The mark of the Christian is the doing of deeds that glorify God. The mark of the Christian is the life of Jesus relived through him.
What did Jesus do? He did the work God sent Him to accomplish.
What was His work? To seek and to save the lost giving Himself as a ransom for many.
The Christian is to likewise seek to save the lost denying self in order to make visible the goodness of God in Jesus Christ.
The great Apostle Paul identified this life when he said he become all things to all men in order to save some.
As Jesus gave His life on the cross for the salvation of men so the Christian is to surrender their selfish ways to save men so that they seek Christ.
A Christian is measured by his fruit and the fruit God desires is people reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ.
Christians use a host of measurements to determine their identity but only one is used by God and that is lives brought into His kingdom through our joint partnership with His Holy Spirit.
What then of character? Character is to reflect the nature of God. Why? So that men see God and come to love Him.
What of good deeds? They are the means for men to experience the love and mercy of God so that men turn to God with their whole lives.
Apart from reconciliation with God through Christ all men are destined to destruction but God desires that all should come to eternal life through His Son and Christians are His laborers to make that happen when they bear fruit.
