Your daily goal:
Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
(Monday-Friday, from my daily study time, I will write a short thought for that day which I pray God will use to motivate you to ‘GO’ for that day. Your objective is simple…to GO…to GO OUT and share the love of Christ with someone in that day….to GO and bear fruit …to be light to the world.)
Today’s Daily Light
Continuing…The Search For Significance, by R. McGee
The Holy Spirit is Our Agent of Change
(We ended last week with… “the love of Christ flows through us and produces spiritual fruit”…let’s continue…)
Obviously, this fruit is not always evident in the lives of Christians, but why not? As we all know, the Christian life is not an easy one. It is not simply a self-improvement program. True, we may at times be able to make some changes in our habits through our own discipline and determination, but Christianity is not merely self-effort. The Christian life is a supernatural one in which we draw on Christ as our resource for direction, encouragement, and strength. In on of the most widely known metaphors of the Bible, Christ described the christian life in John 15, using the illustration of a branch and a vine. He said:
I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser…Abide in (live, grow, and gain your sustenance from) Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:1, 4-5).
Nothing? Yes, nothing in terms of that which honors Christ, is spiritually nourishing to us, and ins genuine Christian service. Anything done apart from the love and power of Christ amounts to nothing. Although we may expend tremendous effort at a great personal cost, on that which is done for Christ’s glory in the power of His Spirit is of eternal value. The very power of god that was evident when Christ was raised from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-21) is available to every believer who abides in Him, who desires that He be honored, and who trusts that His Spirit will produce fruit in his or her life.
Just as the cross of Christ is the basis of our relationship with God, it is also the foundation of our spiritual growth. Christ’s death is the supreme demonstration of God’s love, power, and wisdom. The more we understand and apply the truths of justification, propitiation, reconciliation, and regeneration, the more our lives will reflect His character. Spiritual growth is not magic. It comes as we apply the love and forgiveness of Christ in our daily circumstances. It comes as we reflect on the unconditional acceptance of Christ and His awesome power and choose to respond to situations and people in light of His sovereign purpose and kindness toward us.
Father…I pray for all of us in this new week…that we will discipline ourselves to practice spending more time with You in Your word and in Your presence ‘so that’ we will experience the eternal rewards that come from ‘abiding’ in You….’so that’ we can bear eternal fruit for Your kingdom. Amen
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