Life in mission
Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. John 15:2-5
We are all called by God to be in His mission. In Chapter 14 of the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus Christ talked about the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those that placed their trust in Him. His presence through the Holy Spirit is what will nurture His life in us. But this can only take place when we remain in Him. This means that we have to allow Him to do through us what He alone could do; to transform our life. We have to let Him be God and take control of our life. Jesus said, “...For apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). It is no longer the old life characterized with selfishness and self-righteousness that should dominate but having His life taking control over us. “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:18-20). He wants us to be the vessel of His unselfish love. “For love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). A true regenerated life in Christ will bear fruit for such rest in Him. This life is demonstrated by the on-going obedience and faith in Christ. Every follower of Christ will be pruned to be fruitful. Knowing Christ as Lord and Savior gave us access to a full experience of God’s power working in us. “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:19). What a privilege we have to reflect who God is because we allowed Him to live His life in us! The fruit we produce when we continue to remain in Him is Christlikeness. “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25).
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
