What Happens After Death?

Wed 11/2/11 - Special Message and Communion: Matthew 26:14-16, John 13:31-35

Do Pets/Animals Go to Heaven?

Sun 10/30/11 - Blessings and Cursings: Leviticus 26

What Does the Bible Say About Suicide?

Wed 10/26/11 - Paul’s Faithful Witness: Acts 21

Who Was Cain’s Wife?

Sun 10/23/11 - Times and Seasons Pt. 2: Leviticus 24-25

Is Eternal Security Biblical? Can a Christian Lose Salvation?

Wed 10/19/11 - Paul’s Determination, God’s Leading: Acts 21

What Does the Bible Say About Women in Ministry?

Sun 10/16/11 - Times and Seasons: Leviticus 23

Wed 10/12/11 - If Any Man Thirst…: John 7:37-39

What Does the Bible Say About Tattoos/Body Piercings?

Abide in the Lord

John 15:8 “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

I was reading the 15th chapter of John recently and was pondering the idea of bearing fruit and abiding in Christ.  Familiar words to a seasoned Christian, but it was good to be reminded of what the ultimate goal in life is all about.  The ultimate goal in life is to glorify God.  The ultimate purpose in eternity is that God’s name will be known throughout all the earth, that the knowledge of God will cover the world like the waters cover the sea. 

How is God glorified? He has chosen that His people, whom He created and gave the breath of life, would bear much fruit.  What does bearing fruit mean and how does one go about doing it?  Bearing fruit is what your actions produce.  It is the spiritual fragrance that comes from what you choose to do and how you go about doing it. 

So how do we bear good fruit?  The only way to bear lasting fruit is found in John 15:4—“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”  It is by abiding in Christ.  Abiding in Christ comes from an intimate fellowship with Him.  Our relationship with God is different than our relationship with our friends.  It resembles a parent’s relationship with their child.  The parent pours their life into the child.  The child is required to obey.  Likewise, we cannot wake up in the morning and say, “This is my life.”  We must wake up and say to our Father, “This is Your life.”

Complete obedience comes from complete trust.  How do you trust someone that you do not know?  It comes back to the knowledge of God.  Make yourself available to Him through daily reading and sincere prayer.  Jesus was marvelous at complete obedience.   He not only glorified God with what He did but how He did it.  He exampled the perfect composure, the perfect peace; He was never in a hurry and always took one step at a time.  He perfectly glorified the Father, and now He has called us to glorify Him by abiding in Him.