Post by beloved on Aug 27, 2007 9:49:28 GMT -5
[Jesus said,] "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."
God saved us not only because He loves us, but so we would bring forth fruit- show love to others through our actions and words. Doing right, follows being right with God, which we have through Jesus our Savior (righteousness). However, doing right happens quite easily by our new nature if we "abide in the vine"- spend time with God and focused on who He has made us to be. Doing right outside of God and our new nature is empty works that may do some good but they are lifeless works in our hearts and because they are lifeless "workings" they become chores instead of love expressed from our hearts. When we live from our new nature, the doing flows from the heart of our being, from the Spirit within us. Here is His fruit:
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control. Against such there is no law.
Ephesians 5:9
For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
God has predestined us unto bearing good fruit.
Romans 8:29
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Philippians 1:9-11
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Even if we have good works toward others and gifts from God to serve others with, it profits us nothing if we "have not love". If our works are nothing but self centered services, that we hope will bring forth fruits for ourselves, if self is the center and the end of our works, we do not know love, and it profits us nothing.
If self is the center of our works they are done from the flesh and not from our newly created spirit which is in Christ. Works that flow from Christ's life flow from a place of true love for others; from the very heart of God through us, no strings attached, no selfish motives.
Though I speak with the tongue of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to fed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
So in summary, Jesus tells us that if we are to bear much fruit we must abide in the vine and that He IS the vine. In other words, we must spend time in His Word and His Presence. If we do not, than all of our efforts to love are just that- dead efforts done with the hopes of it bringing something also to ourselves. But God's word is clear that such dead efforts will profit us nothing. Only when we love fully from our hearts, from the well spring of life God has placed on the inside of us at the new birth, can we love with God's love and compassion in spite of ourselves or what we can gain.
God saved us not only because He loves us, but so we would bring forth fruit- show love to others through our actions and words. Doing right, follows being right with God, which we have through Jesus our Savior (righteousness). However, doing right happens quite easily by our new nature if we "abide in the vine"- spend time with God and focused on who He has made us to be. Doing right outside of God and our new nature is empty works that may do some good but they are lifeless works in our hearts and because they are lifeless "workings" they become chores instead of love expressed from our hearts. When we live from our new nature, the doing flows from the heart of our being, from the Spirit within us. Here is His fruit:
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control. Against such there is no law.
Ephesians 5:9
For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
God has predestined us unto bearing good fruit.
Romans 8:29
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Philippians 1:9-11
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Even if we have good works toward others and gifts from God to serve others with, it profits us nothing if we "have not love". If our works are nothing but self centered services, that we hope will bring forth fruits for ourselves, if self is the center and the end of our works, we do not know love, and it profits us nothing.
If self is the center of our works they are done from the flesh and not from our newly created spirit which is in Christ. Works that flow from Christ's life flow from a place of true love for others; from the very heart of God through us, no strings attached, no selfish motives.
Though I speak with the tongue of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to fed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
So in summary, Jesus tells us that if we are to bear much fruit we must abide in the vine and that He IS the vine. In other words, we must spend time in His Word and His Presence. If we do not, than all of our efforts to love are just that- dead efforts done with the hopes of it bringing something also to ourselves. But God's word is clear that such dead efforts will profit us nothing. Only when we love fully from our hearts, from the well spring of life God has placed on the inside of us at the new birth, can we love with God's love and compassion in spite of ourselves or what we can gain.