After reading the title, we may ask, what am I appointed to? How do I know where I am to go and what I am to do?
Usually, in Biblical days, disciples normally chose the particular Rabbi to whom they wanted to be attached, but it was not this way with Jesus’s disciples. He chose them for a purpose–to bear fruit. He said it this way, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last.” John 15: 16
When Jesus spoke this to His disciples, He was preparing them before they went anywhere as they were growing in their walk with Him.
He wanted to let them know the human worldly system opposes God’s purpose.
He affirmed them, saying, “You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15: 19
The disciples must have asked the question, “How do we bear fruit?” The short answer for that would be, “Remain in Him.”
How can we remain in Him? By reading His Word, by prayer, by positioning and posturing ourselves where He would want us to grow and learn.
If we remain in Jesus, we are continually abiding in Him. We are not just casually loving Him one day, then turning Him aside the next.
Being appointed is a life of following Jesus, not just believing in Jesus.
To help His disciples better understand, He gives them the analogy of a vine and its branches. He says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in Him, He will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15: 5
The reliance on Jesus becomes a living union with Him that includes the Holy Spirit’s power and influence in our life.
How can we bear fruit? There are many ways we produce fruit by our good deeds, our actions, our love. There is one way that’s specifically important that can bring forth good fruit. That’s with the fruit of our lips. “From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.” Proverbs 12: 14
We bear fruit by the way we live our life.
We are told to, “Live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1: 10
As we grow in Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit becomes evident in our life. We find ourselves saying ‘no’ to the things we used to say ‘yes’ to. “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5: 22-23
As we conclude, we are reminded that we were appointed to remain in Christ, stay strong in our relationship with Him, and bear fruit in the way we live. Being led by the Holy Spirit becomes our primary way of living as we grow in the knowledge of Jesus.
One commentary stated it this way: “Paul wrote with both irony and understatement. There is certainly no law against love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But more so, if a person has this fruit of the Spirit, he doesn’t need the Law. He already fulfills it.” (Guzik)
KINGDOM ASSURANCE
You can find all of the Kingdom Assurance series posts by clicking the button below.
[…] Open the full article on the kingdomwinds.com site […]