What Evidence Do You Have?

Lesson #244

In our last lesson we saw the importance of context. When a verse tells us that we can ask for anything we wish, we need to stop and see if we can find any conditions. We find three conditions that we need to consider. First, the person asking had to be a believer and second, that believer was to be a student of the word. There is one more condition and here is where believers get into trouble because they do not consider the context of the verse. The context is about bearing fruit. This verse is inserted here for those who might need help to bear more fruit. Therefore, you can ask for anything that will help you bear more fruit and if you are a student of the word and have the mind of Christ, you will know what to ask for and it will be done for you. As we look ahead to the verse of this current lesson, we will see the importance of this prayer.

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8 ESV). The will of our Father is that we bear much fruit and in so doing he is glorified or honored. The prayer of verse 7 is for the purpose of bearing more fruit and thus glorifying our Father. As we pray, we we are to be zealous and devoted to the work of the Lord and in so doing we will prove to be his disciples. As I write these studies, I like to stay in touch with what others before me have written. In an old Pulpit commentary, I found something interesting. “On earth the vine reveals itself in the branches, and thus conceals itself behind them. “This explains why the diffusion of spiritual life makes such slow progress in the world - the Vine effects nothing but by means of the branches, and these so often paralyze instead of promoting the action of the Vine” (Godet).”

In each of the verses 4, 5, 6, and 7, Jesus tells us we must abide in him if we are to bear fruit. Here in verse 8, the “abide in me” is changed to “abide in my love.” “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:9 ESV). Even before the foundation of the world, Jesus, as the Son of God, has been the object of his Father’s love and out of this love, Jesus responded with obedience unto death to purchase our salvation. As Jesus was the object of the Father’s love, we are seen as the objects of Jesus’s love and that love for us is as intense as the Father’s love for Jesus is. We are to abide in, or remain in, the love in which Jesus loves us. God is love and to abide in that love is to abide in Jesus as the Son of God and as we abide in that love we will reflect the characteristics of that love, which I see as “joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control” (Galatians 5:22 – 23). Displaying these characteristics is an aspect of fruit bearing, affecting the lives of others for Christ.

Prayer

Father, I pray that my readers and I will abide more deeply in you and your word, that we will be more earnest in our prayers to bear more fruit and thus as you answer those prayers, you would be glorified. I pray that as we bear fruit we will prove to the world that we are your disciples.