February 11th
More on
Grace and Spiritual Fruit
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can
you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who
abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can
do nothing. (John
15:4-5)
Although these verses do not
mention grace, they are a classic biblical explanation of grace bringing
forth fruit in lives. The language depicts an actual vineyard, where
fruit grows on branches that are properly related to a vine. Then, this
physical reality is applied figuratively to spiritual fruit developing in our
lives, if we are relating correctly to Jesus.
In this teaching, our Lord
reminds us that literal branches are not able to produce fruit themselves.
"The branch cannot bear fruit of itself." We are
spiritual branches, so we will not be able to produce fruit either. "Neither
can you, unless you abide in Me." In fact, our potential
for manufacturing genuine spiritual fruit is zero. "Without Me you can
do nothing." The best we could ever hope to produce would be
religious, wax fruit. Such would come from our fleshly attempts to appear godly
or effective. People may be fooled by this, but God never will be. Furthermore,
people cannot be edified by partaking of such, and God cannot be glorified.
True fruit results from the
ongoing development of life. Life is only innate to vines, not branches. For a
grape to develop on any grape branch, the life of the vine must flow into, and
work within, the branch. So it is with us. "I am the vine,
you are the branches." This distinction is vital. We
must never forget the difference, if we desire to bear fruit. The life we need
for fruitfulness is in Him, not in us.
How do we avail ourselves of
that life which is essential for fruit? "Abide in Me, and
I in you." We are to look to Jesus for life, counting on Him to live
in and through us. Then, His life, working in us, brings forth Christlike
fruit. How do we know if we are abiding? If we are willing to depend upon Jesus
for spiritual fruit as a grape branch relies upon its vine for grapes, then we
are truly abiding in Christ. Such dependency brings valid expectation for great
measures of Christlikeness to be developing in and through our lives. "He
who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit."
This is clearly grace at work,
as seen in the relational realities of humility and faith.
Humility is operating as we acknowledge "without Me you can do nothing."
Faith is exercised as we believe "that He who abides in Me…bears
much fruit."
Lord Jesus, my true vine, I humbly agree
with You that I cannot produce spiritual fruit on my own. I admit that apart
from You at work in me, I could never manifest any genuine godliness. So, with
great expectation I look to You to provide the life I need for much
fruitfulness, Amen.
“And they took knowledge of them, that
they had been with Jesus.”
Acts 4:13
A Christian should be a striking likeness of Jesus
Christ. You have read lives of Christ, beautifully and eloquently written, but
the best life of Christ is his living biography, written out in the words and
actions of his people. If we were what we profess to be, and what we should be,
we should be pictures of Christ; yea, such striking likenesses of him, that the
world would not have to hold us up by the hour together, and say, “Well, it
seems somewhat of a likeness;” but they would, when they once beheld us,
exclaim, “He has been with Jesus; he has been taught of him; he is like him; he
has caught the very idea of the holy Man of Nazareth, and he works it out in
his life and every-day actions.” A Christian should be like Christ in his boldness.
Never blush to own your religion; your profession will never disgrace you: take
care you never disgrace that. Be like Jesus, very valiant for your God.
Imitate him in your loving spirit; think kindly, speak kindly, and do
kindly, that men may say of you, “He has been with Jesus.” Imitate Jesus in his
holiness. Was he zealous for his Master? So be you; ever go about doing
good. Let not time be wasted: it is too precious. Was he self-denying, never
looking to his own interest? Be the same. Was he devout? Be you fervent in your
prayers. Had he deference to his Father’s will? So submit yourselves to him.
Was he patient? So learn to endure. And best of all, as the highest portraiture
of Jesus, try to forgive your enemies, as he did; and let those sublime words
of your Master, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” always
ring in your ears. Forgive, as you hope to be forgiven. Heap coals of fire on
the head of your foe by your kindness to him. Good for evil, recollect, is
godlike. Be godlike, then; and in all ways and by all means, so live that all
may say of you, “He has been with Jesus.”
What do people see in you? How are your actions/words looked at? Can those whom watch you tell who lives in you?
These are all questions we all ask when we meet someone new or when someone makes a stand about what they believe in. We watch ,we listen, we keep track. because we are human and because we always try to figure out Why? also we look harder on someone who radically changes their way of life because we want to see if their are true or real to the "New" way of life that they are proclaiming.
The only way for any change to become real in our lives is to have Jesus and to have a indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
We can do nothing w/o Jesus in our lives we bear no fruit in this life w/o Jesus.Yes we all can walk in this world and be famous,rich,poor,and live w/much excesses but what are you doing for the Kingdom of God and I don't mean just talking about it I mean what do you do each day in a way that when the time comes when we all stand before God and He asks us "What did you do to get people to know my Son Jesus?" And all the things,jobs,money and worldly ideas and thoughts will matter not then. How will you or I answer? We could say we gave to the church or that we did good deeds or we lived a quiet and uneventful life. That will not cut it as God sees it.
1st have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour 2nd What did you do with that knowledge? 3rd How did you live/act/treat others after getting Jesus in you.
Now yes you can be assured a place in Heaven just by being saved but a greater life is to be lived when you give your all to the King of Kings and live for Him all the rest of your days of your life. THAT way you give God the Glory and give Him your Praises.
YOU MUST LIVE AS IF YOU ARE TRANSPARENT and that everyone can see everything,thoughts,deeds,feelings,actions,words that are in you. LIVE FOR JESUS! Pax Carl
