Daily Devotional Week of 1-21-2002

Monday 1-21-02

MORE ABOUT FRUIT

He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. John 15:5 (NKJV)

Fruit, fruit, fruit, what more can we say about fruit. Luke says a good tree does not bear bad fruit and vice versa. In fact he says good fruit is brought up out of the good that is stored in a man's heart and bad fruit is brought up out of the bad stored in a man's heart. Therefore fruit that grows on the vine of Christ looks like Christ because it is brought up from the Spirit of God who dwells in our hearts. Paul said that these fruits have the qualities of Christ Himself: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control as well as forgiveness, compassion and humility.

Fruit is generally equated with works or deeds in the Bible. John the Baptist said fruit resulting from repentance will be expressed through action. But that action is fueled by the Spirit of God who dwells in us and has given us a new heart.

Consider today the ways that God has changed your heart by the washing away of your sin and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and give thanks to Him for His awesome goodness.

For further study: Galatians 5:22-23, Colossians 3:12-14

Tuesday 1-22-02

ABIDING IN CHRIST

He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. John 15:5 (NKJV)

The Greek word for abide is meno: to tarry, to stay in a given place, state or relationship. God's word teaches us that abiding in Christ is to make one's home in Christ - It is to make Christ our place of origin, of rest, of security, of family, of comfort, and of central importance to our lives.

Abiding in Christ encompasses all of the spiritual disciplines: the word, prayer, worship, meditation, and memorization. But abiding goes far beyond the spiritual disciplines. Christ calls us to be homebodies - our lives in every arena are to center around Him. Christ is to be our home base, the object of our lives: our source of strength, our motivation to serve, and our reason for hope. Our lives are to be centered around and in Christ in every sphere: home, work, family, friends, entertainment, spending, leisure, as well as thoughts and attitudes.

There is no corner of our lives, which are corridored off from Christ. We are to give Him access; yeah we are to invite Him into every room in our house. Consider today those rooms, if you will, in your house, to which you have not given Christ access. Invite Him to occupy the whole house today, that you might abide rightly with Him.

For further study: John 14:16, 23

Wednesday 1-23-02

GOOD WORKS

For without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5b

Jesus' statement in verse 5 begs the question "What is the nothing that believers cannot do without Christ?" Strictly speaking we really can do absolutely nothing without Christ, for it is Christ who sustains all things by His powerful word. And it is God Himself that gives all creatures life, breath, and everything else. But these provisions are given to all men in different apportionments by God's common grace.

In verse 5 Jesus is talking about very specific things that we cannot do unless we abide in Him. Paul gives us a clue as to what Jesus is talking about in Ephesians 2:10: We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (NKJV) These nothings that Jesus is referring to are the fruits or works of the Spirit that can only be grown through the gifts of the Spirit. These "nothings" are what God created us for, these "nothings" are what we are to be known by, and it is these "nothings" that bring God glory.

We glorify God by doing those things that He planned for us to do, by His power and His inclination. Our lives are to be all about Him. Pray to God today that you would bring glory to Him by completing the work that He prepared for you to do.

For further study: Acts 17:25, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 27

Thursday 1-24-02

THE JUDGMENT OF GOD

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch...John 15:6

The fruit of salvation is abiding in the vine of Christ. And to those who abide in Jesus, Jesus promises to abide in them. And to those who love Him and obey His commands, Jesus promises He and the Father will come and make their home with Him.

The opposite is also true. For those in the church who do not abide in Christ, who do not bury their life in Him, Christ does not and will not abide in them. It is these people, who say they are Christians, who attend church regularly and perhaps even know and read their Bible but have not taken refuge in Christ that will be thrown into the fire and burned on the Day of Judgment. Matthew Henry says about this passage "Those that abide not in Christ, though they may flourish awhile in a plausible, at least a passable profession, yet in a little time wither and come to nothing. Their parts and gifts wither; their zeal and devotion wither; their credit and reputation wither; their hopes and comforts wither."

TThese verses should strike fear in our hearts and cause us to examine our lives for the fruit of abiding. Those who do not abide should fear being cast into hell fire- where "Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched."

For further study: John 14:23, Matthew 7:21-23, Mark 9:48

Friday 1-25-02

WHAT A PROMISE

If you abide in Me...ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
- John 15:7 (NKJV)

Some read this and similar passages and construe God to be the great vending machine in the sky. In fact there is a whole "name it and claim it" doctrine that some have constructed around these scriptures, as if God exists to serve man and to provide for his every whim.

In reality answered prayer centers around the depth of our relationship with God. The more conformed into the likeness of Christ we are the more we can expect that our prayers will be answered in this way. Why? Because as Oswald Chambers says, "When the Son of God prays, He has only one consciousness, and that consciousness is of His Father. God always hears the prayers of His son, and if the Son of God is formed in me the Father will always hear my prayers."

If you want to experience the truth of God's word concerning prayer, then you must want to be transformed into His image, your will conformed to His will, your desires conformed to His desires and your affections conformed to His affections.

For further study: John 14:12-15, James 5:16

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