John 15:8 - Producing Fruit to the Glory of God.
John 15:8 (NIV) This is to my Father's
glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves
to be my disciples.
John 15:8 (AMP) When you bear (produce) much
fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you
show and prove yourselves to be true followers of
Mine.
INTRODUCTION
When a vine produces "much fruit," God is
glorified, for daily he sent the sunshine and rain to
make the crops grow, and constantly he nurtured
each tiny plant and prepared it to blossom. What
a moment of glory for the Lord of the harvest
when the harvest is brought into the barns,
mature and ready for use! He made it all happen!
This farming analogy shows how God is glorified
when people come into a right relationship with
him and begin to "produce much fruit" in their
lives. [Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
When you use the gifts God has given you,
its an act of worship.
What makes God smile? Some people think
God only smiles when youre praying, singing
praises, or going to church. The truth is, God smiles
when you use the gifts hes given you.
When youre doing what you were wired
and shaped to do, its like God says,
Thats so cool! I created them to do that!
When Eric Liddell, a devout Christian,
represented Great Britain in track events during the
1924 Olympics, he said, God made me fast. And
when I run, I feel His pleasure.
God shaped some people to run. He shaped
others to race bikes or surf. Theyre just good
at it. I think when God looks at them, he says,
That is so cool! I made the wave. I made the
surfer. This is cool.
You dont have to always be doing
something spiritual to bring God glory. Any time
youre using Gods gifts for his glory, its
worship.
But God has given specific spiritual
gifts too. Hes gifted some people for teaching
the Bible, while others make a big difference
serving behind the scenes. Some people are great
evangelists while others help fellow Christians hear
Gods voice more clearly.
The Bible says, My Father is glorified
and honored by this, when you bear much fruit
(John 15:8 AMP). When you use your gifts
correctly, God gets the glory. And you certainly
cant please God with gifts you dont have. God
doesnt expect you to be talented or gifted at
everything. He just wants you to worship him by using
what hes given you.
In the Bible, the words joy and
gift actually come from the same Greek word. When
you use your spiritual gifts, it brings joy to
God, and it brings joy to you.
Its like God says, Youre doing
what I created you to do. And you say, This
feels good!
The best feeling comes from using your
gifts for Gods purpose, knowing youre
worshiping God by doing what he made you to do. It is
the greatest thrill in the world! [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
Service to God includes personal
ministry. By personal effort we are to co-operate with
Him for the saving of the world. Christs
commission, Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature, is spoken to every one
of His followers. (Mark 16:15.) All who are
ordained unto the life of Christ are ordained to work
for the salvation of their fellow men. Their
hearts will throb in unison with the heart of
Christ. The same longing for souls that He has felt
will be manifest in them. Not all can fill the
same place in the work, but there is a place and
a work for all.
In ancient times, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Moses with his meekness and wisdom, and Joshua
with his varied capabilities, were all enlisted
in Gods service. The music of Miriam, the
courage and piety of Deborah, the filial affection
of Ruth, the obedience and faithfulness of
Samuel, the stern fidelity of Elijah, the softening,
subduing influence of Elisha"all were needed. So
now all upon whom Gods blessing has been
bestowed are to respond by actual service; every gift
is to be employed for the advancement of His
kingdom and the glory of His name. COL300-301
When we live by faith in the Son of God, the
fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not
one will be missing. So there may be an
apparent connection with Christ without a real union
with Him by faith. A profession of religion
places men in the church, but the character and
conduct show whether they are in connection with
Christ. DA676 [Remnant SB]
As with fruit, so with believers; spiritual
growth is a process. [Andrews SB]
Spiritual fruit doesnt grow overnight.
You dont go into your backyard, pull up a
chair in front of your peach tree, and then wait
for the peaches to grow. (You could, but you
wouldnt see anything.) However, if you were to set
up a camera with time-lapse photography, you
would see dramatic growth over a period of time.
Jesus said, By this My Father is
glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My
disciples (John 15:8 NKJV). If you are truly a
disciple of Jesus, then you will have spiritual fruit
in your life. That means results. It means
evidence. One of the first things we do as Christians
is produce what Jesus called fruits worthy
of repentance (Matthew 3:8 NKJV).
For example, maybe your friend says,
Lets go get a drink after work.
I dont do that anymore.
What? You dont do that anymore?
Whats wrong with you?
It isnt whats wrong with me;
its whats right with me, you say.
Christ has come into my life.
People know you by the fruit of your
repentance. You stopped doing some things and started
doing godly things instead. That intrigues them
and also perplexes them. As disciples of Jesus,
we should be known by our repentance.
A change in your conduct is spiritual
fruit. Galatians 5:22"23 says, the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control (NKJV).
Giving praise and thanks to God is a way
of bearing fruit. We are told in Hebrews 13:15,
By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice
of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our
lips, giving thanks to His name (NKJV). When we
sing praises to God, that is bringing forth
fruit.
Can people see spiritual fruit in your
life? [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Our lives are not given to us for us to
waste them. God desires that we bear good fruit on
a regular basis. Doing good, being creative,
helping others, accomplishing goals, and other such
things gives me a feeling of accomplishment, and I
must admit that it feels really good. On the
other hand, when I waste a day doing nothing,
feeling sorry for myself, being angry or lazy, that
doesn't feel good.
I am not suggesting that we need to spend
all of our time working, but we should be
productive on a regular basis. Praying for others as we
go about our day is productive. Being friendly
and encouraging others is a simple way to bear
good fruit. Yesterday I went to the hospital to
visit my mother, and when I got there a young
woman was in her room administering a heart test.
She had lovely skin and hair and a beautiful
smile. She was also very kind. Instead of just
thinking these things, I told her that she was really
pretty. The look on her face let me know that she
didn't hear it nearly often enough and that it made
her feel really good.
It is easy to focus on people's flaws and
totally miss the good things about them, but we
don't have to be like that if we purpose to bear
good fruit by making a big deal out of each good
thing we notice about people. You and I have the
power to make someone else's day awesome by being
God's voice and letting them hear through us the
good things He sees in them. Make today and every
day a special day by bearing good fruit that
will honor God.
Father, I love You very much. I want to
bear good fruit and I need Your help in this, as
I do in everything else in my life. I lean and
rely on You to help me see various ways that I
can make this day and every day fruitful! [My
Time with God by Joyce Meyer]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
John 13:34, 35 - The Distinguishing Mark of
a Christian.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200831-1501.html
John 8:31, 32 - True Freedom is in A
Relationship with Christ!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200828-0847.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
