FAITHFULWORD.ORG | TEACHINGS

John 15:5, 8; Matthew 12:33; Jeremiah 4:3; Hosea 10:12; Matthew 13:8, 33; Luke 8:8, 15; James 1:21, 22; [Psalm 139:23, 24]; Hebrews 12:11; John 15:1; James 5:7; John 15:2-8; [Matthew 5:16]; John 15:9,10; [Matthew 7:16; John 13:34]; John 15:11-17; [I John 1:5]

In John 15, Jesus Christ implores us to abide in him. What does that mean? We find the answer right in the context. He says he is the vine, we are the branches. When we abide in him, we bring forth much fruit and our Father is glorified. Then we will be his disciples. Disciples are those who discipline themselves to put the Word on in their minds. When Jesus Christ talks about abiding in him, the context is being a disciple. To bear fruit, we are required to bend over and dig. It takes work. The fruit is the payback. We should take a look at our lives and see the fruit we are manifesting.

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means we seek to keep his commandments, the greatest of which is to love one another. This is the foundation upon which all others are built. When we change our thinking, our hearts will change because from the heart comes the issues of life.

Jeremiah and Hosea speak of breaking up the fallow ground. Fallow means hardened. These verses are not literal but refer to the hardness of our hearts. We, by our freedom of will, change our hearts. When we break up that fallow ground, we can ask God to examine our hearts to see if there is any evil in them. God will chasten us because He loves us.

The scriptures use many analogies of farming to depict being a follower of Jesus Christ. A farmer plants and patiently waits for the fruit to appear. A farmer must purge or prune a vine so it can be more fruitful. So we must purge the thoughts that keep us from doing God’s will.

God is glorified when we, as His children, take the Word into our hearts and live it. To “abide in him” is to walk in love. If we walk in love, we will bear much fruit. If we walk outside the bounds of love, we will not bring forth good fruit, but evil. We then are known by our fruit.

God wants our fruit to remain. This requires a lifestyle of faithfulness (not perfection). Do we want to help people by ministering and operating the spirit of God? If we are judgmental and hold on to things that are hurtful to others, God will not tell us anything. If we walk in love, God will entrust to us the true treasures of the kingdom in the family of God.

John 15:17 contains a commandment which is to love one another. Love means looking at someone’s heart and seeing them as God does. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. God is also love. We should take the time in the upcoming weeks to read the First Epistle of John which talks about fellowship with God and Jesus Christ and walking in the light.

God is moving and needs people who will love Him and love one another. Where ability fails, heart sustains. Do we want to be people who bring forth fruit that is profitable to the Lord? We must pray for hearts of understanding and compassion like the Lord Jesus Christ had. When we have that kind of love and Word in our hearts, the spirit of God in us will overflow and the words we need will be there. People will receive what God has in store for them and God will be glorified.