What Kind of Fruit are We Asking For / Fruit Bearing, Glorifying God,and Discipleship - Part 40

Now the only kind of fruit we are asking for is that which will develop God's character in us!  We were created for one purpose: to reflect the image of Jesus.  We may think a Cadillac parked in the garage will help us reflect His image, but God has a different idea.  Would you agree, then, that these verses are not about asking God for things?  The are about asking God to use us as branches for what He intended in the first place to perfectly reflect His image.  The Cadillac doesn't keep me from being a branch, but neither does the Cadillac make me a branch or cause me to bear fruit.  Character is the fruit that God will grant, as we ask for it and as our minds are open to receive it.

It goes without saying that God does not force His character upon anyone, even though we were expressly created to bear the perfect image of Jesus.  Bearing the image is very possible, but doing so necessitates willingness to be purged.  In order to bear fruit,, God sends us back to the Word that it might have its perfect work in us.  That means we do more than just read the Word and then forget about what we have perused.  No, we endure the purging as it cuts!  The Bible describes the Word as being sharper than any two-edged sword and speaks of it dividing asunder.  And that's what it does-- it separates and divides--it separates us from the world and the things of the world, and changes it changes our interest in the world.  That Word also puts the desire in our hearts to make God first.  Jesus said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness,"  Matthew 6:33 something that is only possible as God dwells in us.

Fruit Bearing, Glorifying God and Discipleship

"If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.  Herein is My Father glorified.  John 15:7,8 first part.

This is interesting because verse eight heads right into the fruit-baring business.  "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit"!  Notice that our asking and the Father being glorified through fruit-bearing are connected:  "Ye shall ask what you will....Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit."  So asking whatever you want, then, is asking for God to be glorified, and He is only glorified when we bear fruit.

Reading again, this time notice the last part of the verse:  "Ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.  Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples."  Did you notice it said, "So shall ye be My disciples"?  Whoever thought discipleship and fruit-bearing were connected?

I think it's pretty clear about Fruit-bearing and Asking what we want.  We can ask for any kind of fruit that will glorify God, Happiness, Love, Forgiveness, Grace, Patience, Godliness, all of these and more, anything that will glorify God and make us in the image of Jesus.  Grandma Joan