"The counsel to “do more” in the belief that works provide the ground of assurance rather than the evidence of assurance is the path to legalism—and legalism in its proper sense. In his book The Whole Christ, Sinclair B. Ferguson urges a “gospel logic” to the effect that “there is no assurance of faith that can be experienced apart from faith.”
And it is here that one perceives a counterintuitive counsel that must be given to the one lacking assurance. To look to works (and the counsel to “do more works”) as a means of gaining assurance is essentially counterproductive and pastorally deadly. Only Christ can save us, and assurance, when lacking, must be found by looking to Him. Apart from faith in Christ, no work on our part will assure us of anything except Pharisaism."
We must abide in Christ for apart from Him we can do nothing:
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5) Bearing fruit, something that Jesus identifies as keeping His commandments (15:10), is intimately related to abiding in Him. It is in the sphere of abiding in Christ and not apart from it that fruit emerges."
The cure for lack of fruit in our Christian lives is to go to Christ -- to sit at His feet like Mary did as opposed to being busy doing works away from Christ like Martha did (Luke 10:38-42). We should enjoy and appreciate Him.We should especially appreciate that while we were still sinners He paid for our sins on the cross (Romans 5:7-8):
"There is only one cure for a lack of fruit in our Christian lives. It is to go back to Christ and enjoy (yes, enjoy) our union with Him. The “love of Christ controls us” (2 Cor. 5:14). The Greek verb translated here as “controls” is elsewhere rendered as “surrounds” and “hems in” (Luke 8:45; 19:43). That’s what the experience of abiding in Christ does—it hems us in to obedience. From such gracious love, compliance with His commands emerges. Disobedience drives Him away. But when we enjoy His presence, we also desire to “please him” (2 Cor. 5:9). And as we bear the fruit of this union, assurance grows."
In the present time, in the midst of lockdowns and quarantines, many Christians struggle with how to bear fruit for God. The solution is to grow closer to Christ -- apart from Whom we cannot boast (1 Cor 4:7, Eph 2:8, 1 Cor 1:31, Gal 6:14, James 4:13-16, Phil 2:3, Rom 12:3, 1 Cor 13:4).
