9TH FEBRUARY, 2022
PASTOR OLUBI JOHNSON
BEARING PERMANENT FRUIT
John 15:16-17 NKJ
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.These things I command you, that you love one another.
The Lord Jesus wants us not just to bear fruit, but to bear permanent fruit. He tells us that this fruit is love. In fact, as revealed in 1Cor. 13:4-8, love contains all the nine fruit of the Spirit (Jn. 15:15-17; Gal. 5:22).
So what does it mean, practically, to bear permanent fruit?
It means to walk in love in all situations: to behave like God in all situations, both pleasant and unpleasant!
God is Love and He does not change so we are not consumed, even when we do things that are displeasing to Him. His love causes Him to endure long and be patient and kind to us when we do not deserve it (Mal. 3:6).
We are to become more and more like God to the point where we too do not change, but respond with the love of God always!
When the love of God in our lives becomes permanent, our election to destiny becomes sure. This is reward number six of the overcomer, of becoming a ‘pillar in the temple of God’ (Rev. 3:12-13).
In addition, when we have permanent fruit, we are certain of answers to all of our prayers: ‘..that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.’
How then do we bear permanent fruit? By practicing the love of God in our daily conduct by the power of the Holy Spirit in reading, speaking, praying, meditating and practicing the written Word(1Jn. 2:5; 1Jn. 4:12-13, 16).
It is instructive to observe that bearing no fruit causes one to be in danger of being cut off from Christ and cast into hell fire (Jn. 15:2, 6).
Bearing some fruit that withers also places one in the same danger (Jude 12).
Negligence of the spiritual exercises of honesty, humility, prayer, reading, study, confession, meditation and practice of the Word, will cause our fruit to wither under the pressure of the lusts of the flesh, of the eyes and the pride of life (Mk. 4:19).
Therefore, you need to keep your heart with all diligence and without offence, and also stay in the Word and prayer for your fruit not to wither, and increase in fruit-bearing to the point where your fruit abounds greatly and is permanent, so making your calling to heaven and election to destiny sure (Prov. 4:23; Acts 24:16; Psa. 1:1-3).
For more on today’s study visit:
https://goo.gl/azSzmQ
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