Jesus
talked a great deal about us bearing fruit for God's Kingdom. He taught us some
valuable spiritual lessons by using this word-picture as an example of our
relationship to Himself. First, He made it clear that we bear no fruit apart
from Him.
He
is the Vine and we are the Branches, and we can only bear fruit as we continue
in our relationship with Him. We can do absolutely nothing of any value apart
from Him (John 15:4-5). In fact, our connection to Christ is even deeper than
we can ever imagine.
God
uses the word "abide" to describe our union with the Vine of Christ. Abide
has more meaning than to "dwell" or to "live." Abide
reminds us to remain, to continue, to stay, to patiently wait, to endure, to
continue to exist in, to reside in, to be present, to belong to, to be vested
in, to inhabit, to have our home in, and to be a resident in Him.
If
we abide in our belief in Him, than He grafts us into the Vine (Romans 11:23).
If we keep His commandments, we abide in His love (John 15:10). As we abide in
Him, His Spirit abides within us (John 14:16). He provides for us, loves us and
cherishes us (John 15:7).
Our
faithful abiding in Christ completely influences the amount of fruit we bear. We
reap His sure and secure promises as we believe in Him. When we trust God
enough to seek His Spirit's guidance, and the truth from His Word, He affirms
us and we bear much fruit (2 Corinthians 1: 20-22).
His
faithfulness impacts our faith in Him. When we remain in Him as our Vine, we
seek Him, listen to Him, and obey His guidance. Understanding God's character
allows us to rest in, and to rely on Him alone. He is always caring for us, and
providing for us (Jeremiah 11:29).
As
the seeds of our faith sprout into new plants in the ministries in which God
calls us to participate, according to His prearranged purpose for our life, we
have the same passive responsibility: to simply hang out with our eternal Vine,
as we abide in Him (Ephesians 2:10).
Prayer:
Father
God, thank You for helping us to realize that as we fix our eyes on Jesus - the
author and fulfiller of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), and as we seek Him first, He
becomes the center of our focus, our balance, our rest, and the supplier of all
of our needs (Matthew 6:33). When we abide in Him, we enjoy His presence in our
life, and see His goodness displayed throughout our lifetime (1 Samuel 12:16).
You
make sure that we reap Your sure and secure promises as we believe in You. When
we trust You enough to seek Your Spirit's guidance, and the truth from Your
Word, You affirm us and we bear much fruit for Your Kingdom (2 Corinthians 1:
20-22). Our faithful abiding in You completely influences the amount of fruit
we bear. We thank You for saving us, filling us with Your presence, and abiding
in us.
Thought
for the Day:
· We abide in Christ's
teachings (2 John 1:9).
· When we abide in Him,
we walk in the same manner that Jesus did (1 John 2:6).
· We are His true
disciples if we abide in His Word (John 8:31).
· He chose and
appointed us, so that our fruit will abide (John 15:16).
· Our election in Him
abides, if we live for His purpose (Romans 9:11).
· The goodness of God
abides in us, if we do not fall (Romans 11:22).
· We reap rewards as
our fruit abides (1 Corinthians 3:14).
· Our hope remains as
we abide firmly grounded in faith in Him (Colossians 1:23).
· We have confidence
and not shame if we abide in Him until His coming (1 John 2:28).
· We have the Spirit of
God within us, if we abide in Christ (1 John 4:13).
