Christ Fruit & Fruit-Bearer

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. (John 15:16)

On the day after the night in which Jesus spoke these words to the eleven and to you, He laid himself down on the cross and bought you with his blood. You are now his fruit and his fruit-bearer. The only fruit that will ever endure to eternal life is fruit which grows out of the cross. "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:23, 24). 

We are Christ's fruit because he died for us. We are his fruit-bearers if we are willing to take up our cross and die with him. Never forget the setting of your text. It is no accident that when Jesus had commanded you to go and bear fruit, he went and died. Your call and your ministry must always stand in the shadow of the cross of Christ. The only fruit that will last is the fruit that grows on the cross.

Jesus Chose You
"You did not choose me, but I chose you," Jesus says to the eleven apostles, and surely to everyone whom he calls to the ministry. Why did he say, "You did not choose me"? It's not literally true. They had chosen to follow Jesus. He did not drag them into his service kicking and screaming. He does not hold them with bit and bridle. They are not looking for ways to escape from his ministry. In John 1:37 Andrew follows Jesus without even being asked, and he goes to get Peter and brings him to Jesus (John 1:41). So the point is not even that Jesus made the first contact.

Turn it around. What if Jesus had said, "I did not choose you; you chose me?" What would most likely be the point of saying that? Wouldn't it mean, "I'm not bound to you. You wanted to come along. If the going gets rough, don't come whimpering to me. It's your choice, man. I didn't stake anything on your success." 

But Jesus said the opposite: "You did not choose me, but I chose you." And so the meaning probably is: "Your presence here is my doing and so I take full responsibility. I know you agreed to join me in this work, but deep in your heart you know it was I who laid claim on you and so my honor, not yours, is at stake in this work." 

If that is what Jesus means, then the reason he said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you, was to encourage us that he would help us. If his honor is at stake in our success because he chose us for the work, then we can be sure he will exert all his power to make us fruitful. Jesus will not lightly let his wisdom be scorned. 

Therefore, he will not look lightly on our cry for help, when we say, "Lord you chose me! You are not fickle. You are not shortsighted. You are not impulsive. Your choices have the weight of eternity in them. You will not let your chosen one be ruined. Help me, Lord." 

Such a plea—if it comes from the heart—he cannot ignore. His wisdom and constancy and reliability are at stake. But in what sense did Jesus choose you differently from your choice of him? In at least two senses. He said, 

"All things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" (Matthew 11:27).

You nor I would have ever chosen Jesus, had he not revealed to us the glory of the Father. Had Jesus not enabled us to see in him the image of the invisible God, we would never have come. Dead in trespasses and sins, blinded by the god of this world, we were hopelessly hell-bent until he called us by name and raised us from the dead.

"The sheep hear his voice and he calls his sheep by name (he chooses them) and leads them out" (John 10:3)

So your choice of Christ was very different than his choice of you. His choice was a recreating, resurrecting, life-giving choice when he called you by name and you were born again and made a child of God. Your choice was all response and trust in his commitment to you.

The other sense in which Christ chose you differently than you chose him is in the call to ministry. Now all believers are chosen in that first sense, and can have the assurance that Christ's honor is at stake in their perseverance. And indeed all believers are chosen for ministry. But among the saints, whose responsibility is the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12), Christ sets some people apart as pastors and teachers to devote their full-time labor to the ministry of the Word and prayer, in order to equip the saints.

Here again those who serve do so willingly. We have chosen the ministry. But if we are where we belong, there has been a call from the Lord preceding, equipping, inspiring, and finally enabling our choice of the ministry. "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." Therefore, be encouraged, be very bold in your work, for Christ is for you, and his very honor is at stake in your success.

Chosen to Bear Fruit
"And I have appointed you that you go and bear fruit." If the origin and assurance of your ministry is election, the immediate aim is fruit-bearing. The context of John 15:1–16 answers three questions about this task. First, what is it? Second, how shall we accomplish it? And, third, to what end should it be pursued?

First, what is fruit-bearing? What is the fruit you are called to bear—indeed must bear? I think fruit in this chapter is a broad term and embraces two things: love for people and the conversion of sinners. If you bear fruit, you love people and win people to Christ
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Let's take love first. The picture in verses 1 and 2 is that Christ is like a vine, and you, his minister, are like a branch shooting off this vine. And God the Father is like the vinedresser who prunes back the branches so they bear the most fruit. Since the fruit is simply the out-forming of what has passed through the branch from the vine, we should ask,

What is it that we receive from the vine? Jesus' answer is love. 
Abiding in Jesus means abiding in his love according to verse 9—"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love." "Abide in me" is replaced by "Abide in my love," and this shows more specifically what we receive when we are united to the vine, namely, the sap of divine love. And it stands to reason, then, that what we receive from the vine flows through the branch and crops out in the fruit of love, for the nourishment and refreshment of other people.

There is another way to see the same thing. Verse 2 says that if you don't bear fruit, you don't abide in the vine; you get snapped off and thrown in the fire (v. 6). So in order to abide in the vine or to abide in Christ's love, we must bear fruit.

There is an exact parallel to that thought in verse 10: "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love." So "If you keep my commandments" and "if you bear fruit" mean the same thing. Or at least we can say that fruit-bearing includes keeping the commandments of Jesus. 

And if we ask what is it in this context that Jesus means by "commandments," the answer again is love. 

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12)

And: "These things I command you, that you love one another." (John 15:17)

Therefore, love is fulfilling the commands of Jesus. And fulfilling the commands of Jesus is at least part of what it means to bear fruit. Therefore, bearing fruit means loving other people. It means letting the love which we constantly receive from Christ as we abide in him flow through us and out to others for their benefit.

But I think the term "fruit" in this gospel is very broad and also includes the making of new disciples.

Jesus says, "Do not say, 'There are yet four months and then comes the harvest. I tell you lift up your eyes and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life so that sower and reaper may rejoice together." (John 4:35, 36)

"Fruit for eternal life" in John 4:36 probably corresponds to fruit that abides in John 15:16, which says, "I appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide." This would refer, then, to the fruitfulness of winning others to Christ, who are then guarded by God's power for salvation.

But probably in the mind of Christ these two meanings of the fruit-bearing merged into one. If the fruit is the out-cropping of the love of Christ in our lives for the nourishment and refreshment of others, then surely among the benefits received from that fruit would be conversion. 

John gives one example of how this happens: "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34, 35)

The most winning and powerful witness we can give is the reality of love. So the fruitfulness of obedient love and the fruitfulness of winning people to Christ are really not two different things. They are one. And that is the aim of all your ministry.

The Way in Which You Bear Fruit
The second question that Jesus answers here about fruit-bearing is how it can be accomplished. The answer he gives (and the word is repeated ten times) is: "Abide in me and I in you" (v. 4). Keep yourself attached, closely attached, to the vine. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (v. 5). 

Everything that you try to do, will come to nothing unless you do it through a conscious, abiding dependence on the enablement of Christ. No matter what I say, you make it your aim for the rest of your life to discover in ever deeper experience what it means to abide in Christ. It is the secret of all fruitfulness.

There are several pointers in the text that help us discover what this means in practice. One is in verse 7: "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will and it shall be done for you." Abiding in Christ involves letting his words abide in us. Notice how these two things come together: the word abiding in you and effectual prayer.

Here is the first and decisive line of battle in your ministry. You must, you must resist everything that would pull you away from rigorous study of God's Word and daily hours of prayerful meditation to let that Word sink in and abide. The inwardly abiding word is a truth of Scripture believed, cherished, and rolled back and forth in the imagination until its implications spill over into daily life as love and joy and peace and righteousness. 

The Word will not abide within us if we are in a hurry. We deceive ourselves when we are so busy doing good things that we snatch a text and a prayer on the run and think that we will be mighty men of God and bear spiritual fruit.

Holy, powerful, life-changing spiritual men of God are not made on the run. There are so few people who believe that, that the expectations laid on you in the service will probably be a constant threat to your spiritual power and fruitfulness. But Christ has appointed you to go and bear fruit. So resist those expectations with boldness.

One other pointer toward the practical meaning of abiding in Christ is the parallel phrase in verse 9: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love." 

Christ's present love for me is his commitment to give me, right now and forever, everything that is good for me. Therefore, abiding in his love means constantly receiving as from his loving hand all things as are good for me. It means never doubting that he is doing me good, but always resting in his kindness. Believing that and acting on it is what it means to abide in the love of Christ. And if you do these things, you will bear much fruit.

Bear Fruit for the Glory of God
Finally and briefly, the end for which you seek to bear fruit is not just your own joy (v. 11) or the benefit of your people: it is that God the Father might be glorified. 

"In this is my Father glorified: that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." (John 15:8)

The chief end of man and the chief end of ministry is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. God is committed by the very nature of his divine righteousness to always act on behalf of his glory. He wills to display it and magnify it. And that brings us back to where we began. "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." 

The honor of Christ is at stake in whether you, whom he chose, bear fruit. But not only that, his father is glorified when you bear much fruit. And therefore his glory is at stake in the fruitfulness of your ministry. 

Therefore, every day of your life and throughout all your ministry you can pray with tremendous confidence:

Today's Prayer
Have mercy upon us, O God, and help us, Lord Jesus, lest your name be dishonored and your glory diminished.

To Be Holy is Our Destiny

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4 KJV)

God chose us that we should be holy... In the Bible the word “holy” should not be understood according to our natural concept. Many think that holiness is sinlessness. According to this concept, someone is holy if he does not sin. This thought is absolutely mistaken. Holiness is neither sinlessness nor perfection. Holy not only means sanctified, separated unto God, but also different, distinct, from everything that is common. Only God is different, distinct, from all things. Hence, He is holy; holiness is His nature. The way God makes us holy is to impart Himself, the Holy One, into us so that our whole being may be permeated and saturated with His holy nature. For us, God's chosen ones, to be holy is to partake of His divine nature and to have our whole being permeated with God Himself. This is different from mere sinless perfection or sinless purity. This makes our being holy, like God Himself in His nature and in His character. Therefore, to be holy we need to be one with God because only God is holy.

Be Ye Holy
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16 KJV)

Peter calls his readers to holiness in light of the coming of Jesus Christ and the holy character of the God who calls us to salvation. He makes three points:

To be holy people, we must be focused on Christ’s coming, obedient in all of life, and growing in our knowledge of God’s holiness.

The word “holy” means to be separate. When applied to God, it points to His transcendence, that He is above and beyond His creation in such a way as to be distinct from it. Contained in the word is the notion of God’s purity, that He is totally separate from all sin. When God calls us to holiness, it means that we are to be set apart from the world unto God, separate from all sin. But since sin dwells in the very core of our being as fallen creatures, how can we ever hope to be holy?

There are three senses in which we are holy (or “sanctified”) as God’s people. The moment we put our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, we are positionally sanctified or set apart unto God. Then we must be progressively sanctified by growing in holiness. This process will not be complete as long as we’re in this body, but we must actively work at it (Gal. 5:16; Rom. 8:13). 

When we meet the Lord we will be perfectly sanctified, made completely like Him (1 John 3:2).

Let me make it plain at the outset that you cannot get to heaven by striving to be holy. Good works cannot pay the penalty for our sins. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can satisfy the justice of God. We must put our trust in Him, not in our good works. But, if our faith in Christ to save us is genuine, it will result in a life of progressive holiness. If a person is not striving against sin and seeking to grow in holiness, it is doubtful whether his faith was saving faith. Scripture says.

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: (Hebrews 12:14 KJV)

Peter shows us three ways that we can be developing a holy lifestyle as those who have trusted in Christ:

1. To be holy people, we must be focused on Christ’s coming.
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (1Peter 1:13KJV)
The command is to have a determined focus on the grace that will come to us when Christ returns. There are three aspects of this focus:

A. HOLY LIVING IN LIGHT OF CHRIST’S COMING BEGINS IN THE MIND.
The point is, holiness begins in your thought life. What you think determines how you live. One of the most practical things I can tell you about living the Christian life is: Deal with sin on the thought level! Judge wicked thoughts the instant you have them, confess them to God and replace them with thoughts of Him and His Word. If you are envious of someone, judge it, confess it, and ask God to replace it with His love for that person. If you are lusting after a woman (or man), deal with it instantly. Flee from it, both mentally and physically! 
As Paul put it, take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

It’s on the thought level that your Christianity is either real or fake. You can fool everyone else, but God knows your thoughts. If you’re faking it and not cultivating a holy thought life, sooner or later it’s going to come out in the open in some form of sin that everyone can see. There isn’t anyone who ever committed adultery who didn’t first entertain the thought in his mind.

Peter says that we must fix our hope completely on the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Holiness begins in our minds as we think often of our Savior and the gracious salvation we will fully experience when He returns and we are changed into His likeness!

B. HOLY LIVING IN LIGHT OF CHRIST’S COMING REQUIRES SPIRITUAL ALERTNESS.
“Being sober” is a favorite word for Peter. It literally means “not drunk,” but obviously has a spiritual application, meaning to be alert and self-controlled. It refers to clarity of mind and the resulting good judgment. 

The point is, we live in enemy territory. If you feed your mind on the garbage of the world and don’t feed on God’s Word, it’s like getting drunk and staggering outside when there’s a lion on the prowl. You’re dead meat! You’re not going to be a holy person. Maybe you’re thinking, “This sounds kind of legalistic!” But notice:

C. HOLY LIVING IN LIGHT OF CHRIST’S COMING IS MOTIVATED BY GRACE.
“Fix your hope completely on the grace being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” God’s grace is the motivation for holy living. 

Why does Peter tell us to focus on the grace that will be brought to us when Christ returns rather than on the grace we’ve already received? I can’t be dogmatic, but I think it’s because his readers were going through intense trials. Peter is telling them, “You’ve already tasted of God’s salvation in Christ, but you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Just hang on through the trials and focus on the fact that God is going to bless you beyond what you can imagine, not based on what you deserve, but based on His undeserved favor!” That future grace should motivate us to live holy lives right now, no matter how much we suffer.

The grace of Christ changes the whole man, making the coarse refined, the rough gentle, the selfish generous. It controls the temper and the voice. Its outworking is seen in politeness and tender regard shown by brother for brother, in kind, encouraging words and unselfish actions. An angel presence is in the home. The life breathes forth a sweet perfume, which as holy incense ascends to God. 

Love is manifested in kindness. gentleness, forbearance, and longsuffering. The expression of the countenance is changed. The peace of heaven is revealed. There is seen a habitual gentleness, a more than human love. Humanity becomes a partaker of divinity. Christ is honored by perfection of character. As these changes are perfected, angels break forth in rapturous song, and God and Christ rejoice over souls fashioned after the divine similitude.

Thus the first aspect of developing a holy lifestyle is to focus on Christ’s coming, being alert in our thinking, motivated by God’s grace.

2. To be holy people, we must be obedient to the Father in all of life.
There are three things involved in such obedience:

A. WE MUST MAKE A BREAK WITH OUR PAST LIFESTYLE.
“Do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance”.            (1Peter 1:14)

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”  (Romans 12:2)

Our past lifestyle was marked by our efforts to fulfill selfish desires. The word “lusts” refers not only to sexual lust, but “to all kinds of self-seeking, whether directed toward wealth, power, or pleasure”. It brings out the strong emotional tug of temptation and sin. These lusts have full sway in unbelievers because they are ignorant of God and His holiness and grace as revealed in His Word. But as Christians, growing in our knowledge of God, we don’t have to be controlled by selfish desires. We make a break with the self-centered living that marked us before we met Christ and now live under His lordship and for His purposes.

I think this explains much of the shallow Christianity of our day. People “invite Jesus into their heart” because they’re told that He will give them an abundant life. If they like what Jesus is doing for them, if they feel that their lives are happier now than before, they’ll let Jesus “stay in office.” But they’ve never made a break with their past life. They’ve never repented of sin or yielded to Christ as Lord. They’re still running their own lives, living for the same selfish desires they formerly lived for. The only difference is that now they’re trying to “use Jesus” to fulfill selfish desires. That’s not saving faith. Saving faith involves repentance. It makes a break with the past lifestyle and seeks to follow Jesus as Lord.

B. WE MUST ESTABLISH A HABIT OF OBEDIENCE.
“As obedient children”  is a Hebrew expression that means “characterized by obedience,” or “habitual obedience.” The implication is that God is our Heavenly Father whom we obey. His Word tells us how He wants us to live. We ought to obey God as a conditioned response. Such obedience is not legalism, but rather should characterize those under grace. 

Peter quotes from the Law (Lev. 19:2) and applies it directly to his readers under grace: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” We are not under the ceremonial or civil laws of Israel. But God’s moral law stems from His holy nature and is just as applicable under grace as it was under law (see 1 Cor. 9:21). As God’s children, we need to get in the habit of asking, “What does God’s Word say?” Then we obey it.

C. WE MUST ERASE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN SACRED AND SECULAR.
“Be holy yourselves in all your behavior”. It refers to conduct or, what we would call “lifestyle.” That Peter here links “holiness” with “behavior” and adds the word “all” is significant because many pagan religions of that time separated “cultic holiness” from everyday life. Peter is saying that our separation unto God is to affect every area of life, both private and public. There is no such thing as secular life that is not sacred for the Christian.

That kind of integrated living eliminates hypocrisy. There’s nothing that turns people off more than to see someone who professes to be a Christian, but whose lifestyle denies it. Kids read it loud and clear in their parents. This doesn’t mean that you must be perfect. It means that you live with integrity, confessing sin when you blow it, making your Christianity practical in every aspect of life. We’re the only “Bible” many unbelievers will ever read. Just as we can learn quite a bit about a father by watching his children, so the world learns about our Heavenly Father by watching His children. That means that we must learn to obey our Father in all of life.

Thus, to be holy people we must be focused on Christ’s coming and obedient in all of life.

3. To be holy people, we must be growing in our personal knowledge of God’s holiness. 

“Like the Holy One who called you,” and “You shall be holy for I am holy,”(1Peter 1:15, 16).

imply that we know something about who this Holy God is. The Christian life is a process of growing to know God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. This knowledge of the Holy One has a transforming effect on our lives. We can never be as holy as God is holy, since such absolute holiness belongs to God alone. But we can and must grow in personal holiness as we grow to know our Holy God.

Today many Christians talk about God without any fear of the awesomeness of His absolute holiness.  Every time in the Bible someone gets a glimpse of Christ in His resurrected glory, the person falls on his face!

It was Isaiah who had that vision of God on His throne with the angels crying, “Holy, holy, holy.”

“In the flash of a moment Isaiah had a new and radical understanding of sin. He saw that it was pervasive, in himself and in everyone else.” To whatever extent we gain insight on the holiness of God, we will gain equal insight on the magnitude of our sin. At the same time, we will revel in the amazing grace of God who saved us through the cross of Jesus Christ. That knowledge will make us more holy in all our behavior.

To be holy also means to be set apart for special use. It does not mean to run off and hide in a cave, so as not to have contact with the world. We are to be in the world but not of it. To be holy means to live a life of purity and moral integrity. It means we are to be separate from all the things that God opposes.

Our standard for holiness is not a set of rules or an abstract religious system. Our standard is not our mentor or a strong Christian friend. Our standard for holy living is God himself. Peter, quoting Leviticus 11:44, says, “Be holy, because I am holy.” God himself is our standard. He is the one who called us to himself, and he called us to himself to be like him.

Absolute holiness cannot be achieved in this life. Peter knew our tendency to miss the mark. But he also knew that it is the true believer’s desire to be in the process of conforming our lives to God’s will. We know we can’t win every game; but certainly, we don’t play to lose.

Today's Prayer
Lord, not only are you our loving Father, you are our standard for holiness. Father, please work in our hearts to make us more like you. And when we fall, thank you for putting us back on our feet and back on the path of obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Crucified Life

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.(Philippians 2: 5-8 KJV)

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:9-13 KJV) 

The pattern presented in these verses is now the life within us. This life is what we call a crucified life. The seven steps of Christ's humiliation are all aspects of the crucified life. Although Christ had the expression of deity, He laid aside this expression. However, He did not lay aside the reality of His deity. He laid aside the higher form, the form of God, and took on a much lower form, the form of a slave. In this, He emptied Himself. Surely this is a mark of a crucified life. Then, after becoming a man and being found in the appearance of a man, Christ humbled Himself even unto the death of the cross. This was the crucified life lived out in a full and absolute way.

Christ is not only an outward pattern for us; He is also the life within us. As this inner life, He would have us experience Him and thereby live a crucified life. In this crucified life there is no room for rivalry, vainglory, or self-exaltation. On the contrary, there is self-emptying and self-humbling. Whenever we experience Christ and live Christ, we automatically live such a crucified life. This means that when we live Christ, we live the One who is the pattern of a crucified life. Then we also shall empty ourselves and humble ourselves.

If we did not have the crucified life within us, we could never live according to the pattern presented in Philippians 2. Only the crucified life can live such a pattern. If we still do things out of rivalry and vainglory or are still ambitious to be leaders or elders, we are not living a crucified life. We are not emptying ourselves or humbling ourselves. However, we have a life within us that truly is a self-emptying and self-humbling life. This life never grasps at something as a treasure. Instead, it is always willing to lay aside position and title.

The Real Exaltation from a Crucified Life
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:3-5 KJV)

Nothing was more troubling to the Apostle Paul than to learn that the saints in Philippi were living in the way of vainglory. He was very concerned that they live a crucified life. As we have seen, this life is Christ Himself as the One who emptied Himself and humbled Himself. Taking this crucified life as our pattern opens the gate of resurrection and brings us into the power of resurrection. The exaltation which is of God will never come by way of rivalry or vain-glory. The more we seek vainglory, the more shameful our situation will be. To pursue vainglory is not a glory at all; it is a shame. Likewise, when we are in rivalry with others, the result is never exaltation. Inevitably the result is that we are brought low. The highest life on earth is the crucified life. Whenever we live a crucified life, God will bring us into the power of resurrection, and in this power we shall be exalted.

During the years I have been in the church life, I have known many cases of those who were in rivalry for vainglory. Without exception, all those who engaged in such rivalry went downhill. It is utterly foolish to have rivalry in the church life. Furthermore, none of us in the church life should hold to any personal standing. Of course, we must stand firm for the Lord's testimony. However, we should not claim any standing, title, or position for ourselves. Making such claims will never bring us into the power of resurrection. I earnestly hope that none of the saints in the church life today will seek glory for themselves. Instead of seeking glory, we should seek Christ and Him alone. Then we shall experience the crucified life.

Because among the saints in Philippi there was rivalry for vainglory, it was necessary for Paul to present Christ as the pattern of a crucified life. Paul presents this pattern in Philippians, not in other books, because in Philippi rivalry for vainglory was a definite problem. As long as certain of the saints there were seeking glory for themselves, there was rivalry. Therefore, Paul showed them that Christ, the Son of God, had a very high position. He possessed the very form of God and had the right to be equal with God. Nevertheless, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men. Then, being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient even unto the death of the cross. Those Philippian saints who were seeking position and title for themselves surely needed to live according to Christ as the pattern of a crucified life.

Today's Prayer...
How can I thank you, wise and merciful Father, for the gift of Jesus? Your love in formulating the plan to send him, your sacrifice in having him become mortal, your agony when your own creations murdered him are too wonderful for understanding. But in my heart I do know that you did these things because of your loving grace and I want to thank you and praise you forever. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Fruitful Heart

"But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred." (Mark 4:8).

 "And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine," (Mark 4:2)

We see, here, that this doctrine was of Jesus. Jesus was teaching in parables so that people could not receive His message in their minds but through their spirits. The Holy Spirit teaches the Christians all truths.

The human heart is like receptive soil to the seed of the Word of God. Jesus used this analogy in the parable of the sower (see Mark 4:3). The soil that the seed fell on represents four categories of hearers' hearts, four different reactions to the Word of God: the hard heart, the shallow heart, the crowded heart, and the fruitful heart.

First, there is the hard heart, the seed that falls along the roadside. This represents people who hear the Word of God, but never really believe.

 "And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up." (Mark 4:4)

Jesus is the great sower of the seed (Word of God). Not all who hear this Word will receive it. This is an explanation by Jesus about the different way the world and its people receive the Word of God. The sower is the same in all cases (Jesus). The seed (the Word of God) is the same in all cases. It is in the way it is received that is different. Jesus, Himself, would come back and explain in detail what this parable meant, and it will help us in other parables to look for the hidden meaning. Not all who hear the gospel receive it. Satan is depicted as the fowl of the air. Satan has come to steal and destroy the Word.

Then there is the shallow heart. That is the seed that falls on stony ground. This signifies the people who hear the Word of God and receive it with joy, but because there is no root to sustain them, they wither.

"And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:" (Mark 4:5)

"But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away." (Mark 4:6)

All of us who have been in church for any length of time have seen the type of person who is indicated above. An evangelist comes through town, and he is so thrilled with the message he goes down front and makes big commitments to God. In a few days when his friends have laughed at him and he runs into hardships, he falls by the wayside. On fire for God for a few days, but his fire went out.

Next, there is the crowded heart. That is the seed that falls on ground where weeds choke out its growth. Slowly and surely, these people, busy with the cares and riches of the world, just lose interest in the things of God.

"And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit." (Mark 4:7)

These are people who are trying to keep one foot in the world and one in church. They still lust for the things of the world while claiming to be  Christians.

Finally, there is the fruitful heart that receives the Word. The seed falls on good ground and the plants produce a rich harvest.

"But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred." (Mark 4:8).

We see, here, Christians who receive the truth and live daily upright lives. These Christians are in for all of eternity. Troubles and lust of worldly goods will not turn their heads. They will follow Jesus, whatever the cost. These are fruit bearers, messengers who tell others of Jesus and add to God's kingdom to the best of their ability. Some of them just get a few saved, but some of them get hundreds saved. Perhaps, the different amounts have to do with where they are located and how many they have opportunity to witness to.

Also, we can easily see that being someone with a receptive heart is what we all need to be. We not only receive the Word for ourselves, but go out and share it with others and lead them into full knowledge of God and His salvation. Some of us may not come in contact with many people, and we may not produce but 30. Others who have an opportunity to witness to large groups may get a hundred saved. The important thing is to bring as many into the kingdom as you possibly can. Be a fruit bearer for God.

We are the ones who determine what kind of soil our hearts will be. We decide whether we will have a hard heart, a shallow heart, a crowded heart, or a receptive heart. 

This is exactly what James meant when he said, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21).

The Word of God cannot work in our lives unless we have a receptive hearts.

Today's Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the seeds that found their way into our hearts, and for the grace that allowed them to bear fruit in our lives!

May your Word find good soil in our hearts so that we will continue to grow “in every way more and more like Christ” (Ephesians 4.15) and so that we will follow wherever you lead!
Send your Spirit to go before us and to prepare the way in front of us. May people’s hearts be receptive to you so that we may bear much fruit for your kingdom, for your honor and glory! Increase in us, Lord, the faith you have given us, and bring to a harvest worthy of heaven.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN

Commit Your Goals and Dreams

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans" (Proverbs 16:3).

You commit your works unto the LORD by doing everything His way. Esteem His precepts to be perfect and sufficient (Proverbs 3:7; Psalms 119:128). 
If you totally leave your own understanding, and in all your ways acknowledge Him, He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). 
Joshua found the first walled city in Canaan to be easy doing it the LORD’s way (Joshua  6:20)

You commit your works unto the LORD by doing them unto Him. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31). 
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17). 
Everything works out for those loving God, for they are the ones appointed to glory according to His eternal purpose (Romans 8:28)!

You commit your works unto the LORD by turning them over to Him. You do this by prayer with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6; Col 4:2). 
If you keep your mind fixed on the LORD Jehovah, rather than your dilemmas, you will find perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3-4). 
When facing a great army, Jehoshaphat led a public prayer meeting, where he prayed among other things, “Neither know we what to do” (II Chronicles 20:1-19). God fought the battle for Him! 
The Lord Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled – believe also in me” (John 14:1).

You commit your works unto the LORD by trusting Him for the results. It is vain and distressing when you think the results depend on you. The results depend on Him, and He suggests you take a nap! (Psalms 127:1-2)
Once you have made reasonable plans, turn the rest over to His gracious and sovereign will (Proverbs 16:9; Psalms 37:3-7; Jas 4:13-15). 
Such trust will fix and establish your heart without fear, regardless of your situation           (Psalms 112:7-8).

How do you view the coming year? Do you look forward to fresh possibilities and renewed potential? Or do you cling to the familiarity of the waning year?
Whether we like it or not, time hurls us forward. The New Year stretches before us like a blank white piece of paper. Why not take advantage of the clean slate the New Year provides and set some goals to work toward? As you set goals, be willing to take steps out of your comfort zone. But remember, making the goals realistic for your age and stage of life will determine whether the goals are attainable.

Following are some areas in which to consider goal setting:

Spiritual goals 
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.(John 15:5) 

Spiritual growth doesn’t just happen. Decide to devote some time and energy to jump-starting spiritual growth:

1. Read the Bible through. Even if you’ve done this before, consider doing it again. God will show you fresh truths when you dig into His Word. Read-the-Bible through guides are available from a number of sources. 

2. Get involved in a structured Bible study. There are lots of many options. If your church doesn't offer group Bible studies, check to see if studies are offered in your community at Christian bookstores or other churches.

3. Decide to share Jesus without fear. Make witnessing a priority.

Mental goals 
 “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” (Proverbs 1:5) 

Challenge yourself mentally by taking steps to learn or try something new.

1. Do in-depth library or Internet research on a particular subject – a country, a religion, or         historical event. Take notes on what you’ve learned.

2. Enroll in a continuing education class at a local college or tech school.

3. Get your whole family involved in learning a foreign language.

4. Volunteer to teach English as a second language.

Emotional/Relational Goals 
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. (Colossians 3:12-13) 

Often we need to work on emotional issues or strained relationships, but continually avoid doing so because of the difficulties involved. Consider goals in the following areas:

1. Forgiveness – Decide to extend the gift of forgiveness for an old hurt. You'll gain a new sense of freedom because you no longer carry a grudge.

2. Patience – Practice patience in areas where you are historically impatient.

3. Anger management – Make a conscious decision to control your anger and determine its sources.

Physical Goals 
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Following the marathon overindulgence of December, most of us need to get serious about maintaining the temple that is our body. Decide to:

1. Enroll in an exercise program and go! It’s easy to have a gym membership, but it takes discipline to actually attend and work out.

2. Deny yourself those tasty morsels that do nothing to adorn the temple. View food as fuel for the machine instead of gratification for the taste buds.

3. Have a family plan that encourages physical activity and togetherness.

This coming New Year, I want to press toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus, not looking back to what I did not get done. I like to reflect on what I did accomplish for God’s Kingdom and then move toward what I can do in this year.

I have seen people live in their pasts and it places them in dark and lonely arenas. There is no life in the sea of regrets and hurts. That is a place of hopelessness and despair. Why stay there? We have the choice to live in the grace of God while praying His word over our lives for blessings like success, health, and prosperity. We need a new mindset: we are no longer victims of our past circumstances. They will not rule our lives. We are more than survivors – we are conquerors.

How do we arrive at such a place to step into that new realm? It's determination to resist being pulled back or pulled down, and the realization that we can’t change the past. We can and do have the opportunity to live out today and our tomorrows holding onto God's Word.

So, what are your goals and plans for the New Year? Do you have great dreams and laudable goals? I hope so. But, please join me as I seriously look at why I set the goals I do and make the plans I make. In the afterglow of Christmas, that great season of giving, let's make sure our plans for the future are not selfish or based on envy, lust, or greed. 

Instead, let's set our hearts to reach great heights for God's glory and to do great things to be a blessing to others. Otherwise, all our attempts to reach great things ultimately will end in chaos, heartbreak, and destruction.

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:16)

Have Faith, Dream BIG

And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren. (Genesis 37:5)

What are your desires in life? What do you “wish” to see come to pass? 
What kind of vision do you have? Do you dream big?

Joseph had a dream that was bigger than he was. This dream was bigger than his family. While this dream was big, it wasn’t bigger than God!  That's what we must remember.     God is great and He is able to do great things. If we step out in faith and in the will of God, nothing is impossible.

So, what is your vision? What is your dream? 
When you set out to please God, He places desires in your heart and then gives you the ability to achieve them, so long as you have faith follow Him.

Today's Prayer
Eternal God, please be with me as I seek to set goals for the coming year. I want to do great things for your glory. Please use me to accomplish your will in the world in which I live and in the group of people to whom you have sent me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen