A Daily Devotional

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Fruit-Bearing Christians

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit" (John 15:2).

As Christ emphasized in His parable of the vine and the branches, it is vitally important for a Christian to bear fruit. There are, in fact, many types of spiritual fruit mentioned in Scripture.

Perhaps the most important fruit, produced in one's life by the Holy Spirit, is that of a Christ-like character. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23). "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth" (Ephesians 5:9).

Holiness--the seal of a life dedicated to God--is a particular spiritual fruit. "Being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness" (Romans 6:22) and are "filled with the fruits of righteousness" (Philippians 1:11). This entails also the fruit of good works performed in the name of Christ, "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work" (Colossians 1:10).

The habit of giving thanks and praise rather than complaint and criticism, is a valuable Christian fruit. "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15). Generosity is another important fruit. Paul commended the sacrificial giving of the Philippians: "Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account" (Philippians 4:17).

Finally, one vital fruit of a Christian witness is fruit borne in other Christians' lives. Paul's great desire was "that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles" (Romans 1:13).

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The Gospel of Prosperity

"Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you" (Romans 1:10).

This mention of the word "prosperous" is the first of the only four occurrences of the Greek word enodoo (meaning literally "good journey," but translated "prosper" or "prosperous") in the New Testament. Here it is actually rendered "prosperous journey."

It is obvious that Paul was not praying for his journey to prosper financially, for the next verse indicates his long desire had been to "impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established" (Romans 1:11).

However, the word has come to include any kind of prospering, as in I Corinthians 16:2, when Paul urged Christians to provide financial help for other Christians in need. "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him," he said.

The term can also refer to physical and spiritual health. Its two other occurrences are in III John 2. "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." Unfortunately, certain teachers of these latter days have taken the Biblical teaching of spiritual prosperity to mean financial prosperity, which they teach is the right of every Christian. But this "prosperity gospel" is so clearly unscriptural that it is merely a testimony to the cupidity of the Christians who believe it. "They that |desire to| be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts," warned Paul (I Timothy 6:9). And to whatever extent God does prosper us financially, it is strictly for the purpose of helping others, not to indulge ourselves. "Charge them that are rich in this world, that . . . they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute . . ." (I Timothy 6:17-18).

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Seven Days

"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad" (John 8:56).

Jesus spoke to the Pharisees about "my day"--a day which Abraham had "seen" 2000 years before. This evidently referred to the time when Christ would be on earth, which God had enabled Abraham to see in prophecy.

But of all the days when He was on the earth, the most glorious was the great day when He rose from the dead. "He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee" (Acts 13:33).

As a result of His death and resurrection, "behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2). The day of salvation is any day in this age of grace when a person believes on Christ for salvation. He then receives "the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). This great future day of redemption evidently is the same as "the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6), when He comes again.

Following this is the fearful day of the Lord, when Christ will punish and judge and reign. "The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night . . . and they shall not escape" (I Thessalonians 5:2-3). It is also called "the great day of His wrath" (Revelation 6:17).

This day of the Lord will culminate at God's great white throne. This will be "the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God" (Romans 2:5).

Finally will come the eternal "day of God" when this present earth will be purified with fire and "we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (II Peter 3:13). That day will never end, "for there shall be no night there" (Revelation 21:25).

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Not Yet

"These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as He taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on Him; for His hour was not yet come" (John 8:20).

This is the last of seven times in the gospel of John that the phrase "not yet" is used in reference to the forthcoming death of Christ. Although this was the very reason He came into the world, the event itself could not be hurried.

When His mother wanted Him to provide wine for the wedding, He said, "mine hour is not yet come" (John 2:4). When His brothers urged Him to show His mighty works in Jerusalem, His answer was, "My time is not yet come" (John 7:6,8). When His enemies tried to take Him at the feast of tabernacles, "no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not yet come" (John 7:30). Even when He preached His great promise of living water, John noted parenthetically that "the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:39).

But His hour did come, and they did lay hands on Him, and put Him to death. Then He was glorified, and the Holy Spirit was given. And now we await another great time that has not yet come. John speaks of this also: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but . . . we shall be like Him" (I John 3:2).

In that great time to come, all things will be made subject to Christ. "But now we see not yet all things put under Him" (Hebrews 2:. These great promises and others associated with them have not yet been accomplished--the world is far from being in subjection to Him, and we are far from being like Him. But the hour will come, just as the first one did, and it will be glorious. For "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (I Corinthians 2:9).

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The Lively Oracles

"This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us" (Acts 7:38).

This pungent expression, "lively oracles," is the felicitous King James translation of zao logion, "utterances that are vibrantly alive." In Stephen's address, he was referring, of course, to the tables of the law, "written with the finger of God" (Exodus 31:18), and received by Moses on Mount Sinai, directly from the Lord.

The Greek word logion is derived from logos ("word") and occurs just four times. In the other three references it appears in the phrase, "oracles of God" (Romans 3:2; Hebrews 5:12; I Peter 4:11). These "oracles" are living words, precisely because they do come from God. They include not only the Ten Commandments, but all the Holy Scriptures.

The word "lively" is the Greek, zao, occurring over 140 times and translated variously (depending on context) as "alive," "live," "living," "quick," etc. It is significant that it occurs, first of all, on the lips of Christ, Himself, when He said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). We are truly alive only through the life-giving words of the living God! "For the word |that is, each individual saying| of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword . . . and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

The Bible is not just a book, but the Book. Its content is "For ever . . . settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89), "able to make thee wise unto salvation" (II Timothy 3:15), and is "given by inspiration of God" ("God-breathed") (II Timothy 3:16). Its words must guide our very lives!

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The Call of the Twelve

"And He ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach" (Mark 3:14).

Early in His public ministry, Jesus gathered around Himself those to whom He would eventually entrust the Christian message. Many others had also been attracted to Him and His works, as indicated in the previous verse: "And He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto Him whom He would |emphasis in the Greek is on He; the choice was His alone|: and they came unto Him" (v.13). Of those He invited, He "ordained twelve."

Such a momentous selection could not be taken lightly, and we should not pass over it either. Luke gives us further information: "He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12) before choosing the twelve. As a sidelight, it bears mentioning that if God the Son so relied on the wisdom from God the Father before making an important decision, how can we neglect prayer as we so often do?

Four purposes are listed for these appointees, but the last three flow from the first: "That they should be with Him." They would see Him in action, learn truth from Him, assist Him in His work; but most importantly they would see His character and habits, and would never be the same.

Part of their training included being sent out to put in practice what they had learned, "that He might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils" (Mark 3:14-15). He gave them a message to preach and the ability to authenticate that message.

A study of these disciples as revealed in the gospels makes one wonder if Jesus made a proper choice. However, in the book of Acts, once He was gone and the Holy Spirit empowered them, we recognize that their training was complete. We are the result of their effective ministry.

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Faith in All the Ages

"And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets" (Hebrews 11:32).

Hebrews 11 is a thrilling catalog of the faithful servants of God in all the ancient ages. There were Abel, Enoch, and Noah before the Flood; then Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph in the patriarchal age; followed by Moses, Joshua, and Rahab in the time of the exodus and conquest. Finally, our text above summarizes the periods of the judges (Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthae), the kings (Samuel, David), and the prophets.

All these were men and women of great faith, though each had to endure great testings. They, as the writer says, "stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword . . . had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder . . . destitute, afflicted, tormented" (Hebrews 11:33-37).

In every age, men and women of faith were more often than not despised and persecuted by the world (even by the religious world!), but the Bible notes, parenthetically, that it was they "of whom the world was not worthy" (Hebrews 11:38). In God's sight, they all "obtained a good report through faith" (Hebrews 11:39), and this is worth more than all the world, for it is the entrance into a far better and eternal world.

Note that faith is not a sentimental wishfulness, but a strong confidence in God and His Word, through Jesus Christ, who is Himself "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Like those of past ages, we can also "run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1), through the faith He offers us.

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Watch and Pray

"Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them" (Nehemiah 4:9).

Prayer is a powerful weapon, but the wall-builders in Jerusalem also were careful to set a watch against their enemies "with their swords, their spears, and their bows" (Nehemiah 4:13). They were ready to fight if necessary, but at the same time they were confident that "our God shall fight for us" (Nehemiah 4:20).

This is a sound Biblical principle. God expects us to make appropriate use of whatever physical means are available for a needed ministry, rather than to rely simply on prayer and divine miracle. The Lord rebuked those who came asking Him to perform a miracle merely to test Him or to see something curious. "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe" (John 4:48). Neither does He condone prayer in lieu of work, for "faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (James 2:17). The same holds for prayer in lieu of obedience. As Joshua was praying for deliverance from the enemy, "the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them" (Joshua 7:10-11).

But as prayer without working is dead, so watching and working without prayer are futile. "Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not" (James 4:2). "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain" (Psalm 127:1).

The Biblical principle is not only to watch or only to pray. Both are essential. "Watch and pray," said Jesus, "that ye enter not into temptation" (Matthew 26:41).

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Emblems of the Holy Spirit

"And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him" (Matthew 3:16).

There are several beautiful symbols of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. The first is that of the dove, here mentioned in the very first New Testament reference to the Spirit. It was the dove, of course, that first assured Noah that the earth had risen out of the death waters of the great Flood, just as Christ now rose up out of the baptismal waters to receive the dove-like Spirit.

The water itself is also an emblem of the Spirit in its cleansing efficacy and life-sustaining virtue. Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). This could also be translated "born of water, even the Spirit." When He promised "rivers of living water" to those who believed on Him, "this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive" (John 7:38-39).

Then, there is the wind: sometimes a gentle breeze, sometimes a mighty hurricane, and this also symbolizes the Holy Spirit. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:.

John the Baptist said, "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh. . . . He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire" (Luke 3:16). The Holy Spirit is God; "our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29). The Spirit of God is a gentle dove and living water; He is the blowing wind, and a consuming fire; He is our "Comforter" (John 14:26), "the Spirit of truth" (John 14:17), and "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2).

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True Worship

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).

The word "worship" is used frequently today in Christian circles--in addition to worship services, we now have worship choruses, worship teams, worship manuals, worship seminars, etc. Often, however, the basic meaning of worship is misunderstood.

In the original Hebrew and Greek, the respective words translated "worship" mean simply to "bow down!" The Hebrew is so translated the first time it is used. When Abraham saw God and two angels approaching, "he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground" (Genesis 18:2). That is, he recognized God's "worthy-ship" and was submitting himself to do His will.

The last time "worship" is used is when John "fell down to worship before the feet of the angel." He was corrected by the angel with these words: "See thou do it not: . . . worship God" (Revelation 22:8-9). Only God, our Creator and Savior, is worthy of true worship, and that worship involves simply bowing down in submission to do His will.

That is why it must be "in spirit and in truth." Our spirit must submit to God who is Spirit and this can only be in truth. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus concerning the Spirit whom He would send to indwell His followers: "when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: . . . He shall glorify me" (John 16:13-14).

He would do this by revealing God's Word to the writers of the New Testament, just as He had for the Old (II Peter 1:21). In His prayer to the Father, recorded by John, Christ prayed for us, saying, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17). True worship is simply submitting to and doing God's will as made known by His written Word and the guidance of His Holy Spirit, thereby glorifying Christ.

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Grace upon Grace

"And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace" (John 1:16).

We can never exhaust the riches of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we receive Him as Savior, we receive "grace for grace"--that is, one grace after another, grace upon grace.

In the first place, we have received His saving grace: "For by grace are ye saved" (Ephesians 2:. We also receive justifying grace, because we are "justified freely by His grace" (Romans 3:24), having the very righteousness of Christ credited to our account. It is then standing grace, enabling us to stand confidently in our grace-given salvation. "We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand" (Romans 5:2).

That same boundless grace soon becomes working grace and serving grace. "By the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (I Corinthians 15:10). "Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28).

Yet there is more, for we need grace for times of testing and opposition as well as for serving. When such times come, "He giveth more grace" (James 4:6). "My grace is sufficient for thee," He says, "for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (II Corinthians 12:9). He gives strengthening grace and sufficient grace for every need.

The grace of Christ is thus truly abounding grace, for "God is able to make all grace abound toward you" (II Corinthians 9:. It is even giving grace, and we should "abound in this grace also" (II Corinthians 8:7). Therefore, we should continually "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18).

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John the Baptist and Jesus

"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe" (John 1:6-7).

John the Baptist was, according to Christ Himself, the greatest man who had ever lived up to that time (Matthew 11:11). As great as he was, however, there is a striking contrast between himself and the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said that John "was a burning and a shining light" (John 5:35), but he was not "the true Light" (1:9). The two Greek words used depict something like a candle in John's case, and a brilliant light such as the sun for Christ.

Similarly, John was a great "voice of one crying in the wilderness" (v.23), but Jesus Christ was "the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (v.1). John "came for a witness" (v.7), bearing witness to the light and to the truth, but Jesus Christ was Himself incarnate truth (14:6). Some even thought John was the Messiah, but he said, "I am not" (1:20).

John's coming was prophesied four hundred years before: "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me" (Malachi 3:1). John was the divinely sent messenger, but Christ was the One whose way he came to prepare. John was "a man sent from God" (John 1:6), but when Christ came, John "saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34).

Both were called to baptize, but there was a great difference. John said, "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire" (Luke 3:16).

John was a mighty man of God, but when Christ finally came, John could only say, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

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The Cure for Spiritual Weariness

"For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 12:3).

Faith in Christ does not make one immune to spiritual weariness and faintness of mind. This condition may arise from frustration at our own natures, our inability to love God as we ought, to pray effectively, to understand the Scriptures or to bear fruit for Him. We may feel that our best efforts to represent God in our community have been of no avail, and very few show by their lives that our witness and ministry have been effective.

Sometimes we may question why God does not choose to favor all those who follow Him with material blessings and pleasant circumstances; but instead, at times, the wicked prosper. Looking at the tide of evil sweeping our world can leave us faint and weary.

But the answer to our dilemma is Christ! Reflection on Him will re-energize even the most discouraged saint, for He "endured such contradiction |or opposition| of sinners" (text), was victorious, and now promises to lead us to similar victory (see Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15-16, for example). It will help us to persevere if we notice how He endured, "Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again" (I Peter 2:23), and that He endured it all, not just for Himself or just for His followers, but also for us, who, "when we were enemies |of Christ|, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son" (Romans 5:10).

The so-called "Hall of Fame of Faith" (Hebrews 11) immediately precedes our text. Reflection on the testimonies of those faithful and victorious warriors, coupled with our example of Christ, will make our greatest burden seem light and should spur us on to even more effective and sacrificial labor.

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By His Doing

"But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (I Corinthians 1:30).

In this one verse we find described four aspects of Christ's work on our behalf. As we look at each one, let us first note that it is "of Him," literally "by His doing," that we are in Christ Jesus, who "is made" or "who became" these things to us and for us.

Wisdom of God: This is the preferred rendering. Paul was writing to the church at Corinth (a Greek city). The Greeks were infatuated with wisdom, but Paul declared Christ Jesus to be the "wisdom of God." Such wisdom is likewise imparted to believers (v.24) while "the foolishness of God is wiser than men" (v.25).

Righteousness: Christ, being "made" righteousness becomes an all-sufficient righteousness to us. This imputed rightness before God gives us a new standing before Him, permitting us access to Him, peace with Him, and ultimate glory with Him.

Sanctification: In Christ, we not only have this righteous standing, we are assured of a holy state as well. Through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we know that our lives will be constantly molded into Christ-likeness.

Redemption: Christ is made redemption for us, and in its fullest definition, this is His final goal. Through His redemptive work, we have been completely delivered from the power of sin, and will one day be delivered from the presence of sin.

The introductory phrase "of Him" or "by His doing," is emphatic in the Greek text. When we see what He has done, we realize just how helpless we were, and how strongly He has acted on our behalf. "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (v.31).

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The Joy of the Lord

"Then He said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).

Jerusalem's wall had been completed, God's Word had been honored, and there was a great day of rejoicing. The real joy in the hearts of the people, however, was not their joy--it was the joy of the Lord. They rejoiced because He rejoiced, and they shared His joy.

The Lord's joy is satisfied when His love is received and His purposes fulfilled. "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).

To attain His joy, He must first redeem from the penalty of sin and death those whom He had created in His own image. Therefore, He "for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

There will be a great day of rejoicing in the age to come when all the redeemed will be presented "faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24). Until that day, however, "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:10).

Joy is in the Lord's heart whenever His saving grace is received by a believing sinner. That same joy is likewise experienced by each believer whose testimony of life and word brings such a sinner to God.

Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11). His joy is our joy, and the joy of the Lord is our strength.