Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Knowing All Things / Responding to the Vine / An Attainable Life - Part 49

Knowing All Things

When Jesus was speaking of true friendship, He was referring to the highest possible form of spiritual experience, which comes through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, "Henceforth, I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you".  John 15:15.

I want that experience, don't you?  We need to be so close to Him that we hear every word He speaks to us, regarding what kind of fruit we are bearing and what kind we should be bearing?  What we need to delete from our life and what we need to add to our life so that we can be one with Him.

Have you ever thought about what Jesus was communicating when He said, "All things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you"?  He was God's perfect  mouthpiece on Earth, and was saying, "Al things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you."  I marvel when I think about this, because as Jesus was faithful to His Father, so He wants us to be faithful to Him; and faithfulness is how discipleship is revealed.  Remember the words in John 15:8, "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples."  Christ was in effect saying, My Father told Me these things; now I am sharing them with you.

Responding To TheVine

How are we going to respond to Christ's plea?  Ignore it?  Listen, but continue on without anything changing?  Listen, but only drowsily respond?  The answer comes as we consider His commission to us.  What commission did He give us?  Wasn't it bearing fruit?  That was Jesus commission. Will He do the same thing in us?  Yes! He is going to bear the fruit of His Own character in us--that's the purpose of fruit-bearing and His stated objective for us.

How am I going to respond to Christ's plea?  How are you going to respond?  We must make our decision soon before it's too late.  Will you bear the fruit of the Spirit?  I want to.

Unfortunately, too often when God speaks to us about fruit-bearing, our first thought is to go to our neighbors and say, "hey, you better get ready because Jesus is coming!"  Too often they react with a "Really?"  Do you believe it?  You certainly don't look like you do!  I don't see anything different between us."  Would you agree that people shouldn't need to be told that Jesus is coming; rather they should know He is coming by the way we live?

An Attainable Life

Is this kind of living attainable, or is more being expected of us that is possible?  It shouldn't be, and it won't be, if our fruit-bearing comes as a result of Christ dwelling within us.  Why?  Because as a result of the indwelling presence of Jesus, God's character will be seen in us, just as God's character was seen in Christ.  Do you remember how Jesus responded to Philip's request, "Show us the Father"? He answered, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not knowns Me,  Philip?" He that has seen me has seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show is the Father?

If Christ is dwelling in us, is it too much to expect that He will be able to say, "If you have seen Mrs. Smith, or Brother Jones, you have seen Me"?

Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing for Christ to say about is?  I would love to have it said about me!  My goal is to be like Jesus in all respects.  I pray that I won't disappoint Him. I also pray that these studies will help you in your struggles of life and that they will bless you too and that you won't disappoint Him either.  Grandma Joan

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