John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing”
Are you reflecting Christ’s character in your everyday life?
…Selah…
As believers and children of God, born of the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have the glorious privilege of revealing Jesus to the world. There must be a distinction between how we live as believers and how sinners and the world live. If we act like the world and live according to its standards, no man will ever see God, and sadly, this means we’ve not made a difference in this life.
For example, when we engage in strife-filled arguments that separate us and destroy unity, we strain and block the harmony and peace that one may experience through us.
- When we harbor unforgiveness, it hardens our hearts, making us selfish and uncaring, while neglecting love and mercy towards others.
- When we allow fear to hold us back and keep us from stepping out in obedience or standing up for God’s glory, we miss the opportunity to please God with our faith. Faith pleases God!
- When we allow shame to cause us to hide and cover ourselves with cloaks that come in many forms, which takes away the authenticity of who we really are in Christ, this proves that we don’t believe what God has said about us; we just become a copy of someone else’s identity, instead of our true identity in Christ Jesus.
Through these examples, it is clear that this isn’t the kind of fruit that glorifies our Lord. In many ways, we’ve conformed to the world rather than been transformed by the WORD.
Our purpose is to magnify God by making Him clear and visible to a sinful world, so that somebody may see and experience Christ in us, and by this, they may hunger and thirst after righteousness and desire to be saved.
The only way the world will see Jesus in us is when we become like Him and manifest His character (fruit). Through our lack of humility and surrender, we’ve neglected an essential part of living life as a child of God, who brings glory to His holy name.
We’ve failed to abide in Jesus; we must stop detaching and disconnecting from our source. Whether times are good or bad, you must remain in the Vine. To develop the fruit of the character of Jesus, we must stay connected, dwell, and live in the Vine. Only through a life surrendered to God will you produce fruit that honors Him as you commune with Him in the word and prayer. God desires an intimate and Holy union with you, and He is inviting you to go deeper.
Let’s take a deeper dive into Him!
A Key Takeaway: Insights from Galatians 5:22:23 . This scripture reveals the virtues/fruit of Jesus.
This breakdown has helped me learn how to better cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He leads my spiritual growth and development. The first set of virtues —love, joy, and peace —concerns our attitude toward God.
The second set of virtues—long-suffering, kindness, and goodness—concerns our social relationships.
The third set of virtues—faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—guides our Christian conduct.
Love & grace,
~Tracy