Live to Love Scripture Encouragement John 15.8

John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Here Jesus reveals His passion, the passion of the vine—namely, the glory of His Father. How vital it is for His disciples to understand that their lives have one holy purpose, that is to bring glory to the vinedresser by bearing much fruit. The fruit, of course, is His love. We must be careful not to be misguided and think that the fruit is decisions for Christ, or changed lives in those whom we love in His name. The fruit is clearly fruit that issues forth from the lives of the disciples. It is the fruit of which the apostle Paul wrote when He described the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in Gal. 5:22-23. We are not fruitful if we see those things in other people. Our fruitfulness looks like the fruit of the life of the vine. It is love. Love is the proof that we are Jesus’ disciples, true branches connected to the vine. This is a repeat of John 13:35. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” May the Spirit of Christ encourage us today, to bear fruit for the glory of the Father, by asking Jesus to love through us and for us. He promises to do it for us. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com