Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Don’t Strain, Abide

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. (John 15:5)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Have your ever considered that the branches of a vine or fruit tree do not have to strain to bear fruit. It comes forth very naturally from the life of the tree. In fact, the fruit is the overflow of the life of the tree.

Many Christians are struggling and straining to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. They wrestle with themselves to honor Christ by living godly lives.

But instead of struggling, what we need to do is abide in Christ. He is the vine, we are the branches, and the life of the vine will itself bring forth the fruit through the branches.

We do not have to make fruit come forth, we simply need to let it come forth. Pal said, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

If you have received the Lord Jesus Christ, you have the Holy Spirit within you to bring forth the fruit of Christ in your life. You have the mind of Christ within you to think with the thoughts of heaven. Abide in Christ, yield to the Spirit, and let God do the work within you. You bring the basket, He’ll bring the fruit.

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