The bible informs us in John 10:10 that the devil’s mission is to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus Christ came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. He came to show us the way, the truth and the life; no one can get to the Father except they come to God through Jesus Christ. Our Savior descended from the throne of God to earth so that he could teach us how to develop a meaningful relationship with our Heavenly Father. This is what God wanted. He knew when He created us that we would need to be redeemed in order to grow into the sons and daughters that He destined us to be. It is important that you understand that God’s redemption plan for your life was always a part of your destiny, and you have a specific purpose within His plan.
This is a truth that should bring tremendous comfort to your life. I can’t speak for anyone else, but it feels very reassuring to me to know that my existence was not an afterthought. No matter what the circumstances were that brought us into this world, we were meant to be here. We were meant to know God and to be a part of His Holy and Royal family. Nothing compares to this extraordinary truth.
As we grow into the person that God has called us to be, it is essential that we increase in our knowledge of Him. This is what helps us to understand our purpose. It helps us to know the path that God has laid before us and begin to walk it out. Heavenly Father created us to reason, to be incredibly intelligent individuals, but He did not design us in such a way that everything there is to know is automatically programmed into our brains. He has given us free-will. This means that we get to choose what we want to know and how much we want to know it. It is totally up to us to study God’s Word. If our relationship with Him is centerstage, as it should be, then we will make knowing as much about Him as possible our highest priority.
As we come to know God, we learn about His nature as a very loving and giving God. Ephesians 4:24 (NLT) tells us, “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” As we grow in Christ, our nature should become more and more like God’s nature. He is love, and love acts a certain way. 1Corinthians 13 gives us the characteristics of love. We learn that love is patient and kind; that it never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and it endures even when the road gets tough. We also know from God’s example that love produces, creates, and causes things to change for the better. All of this tells us about our purpose within the Will of God. It tells us about the person He wants us to be.
In John 15:8 (NLT), Jesus Christ said, “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Again, all throughout the bible God has demonstrated His nature to share, love, give, produce, and increase. Because of Christ, we now have our Father’s nature. We are His children. Christ has showed us the way, and the evidence of demonstrating the mark of the Father is that we bear much fruit.
The abundant living that Christ made available is a life where we increase in blessings as we are obedient to the Spirit. We follow Christ and seek to love as he loves, give as he gives, and share as he shares, we will bear fruit in many ways. Our lives will be continual streams of receiving and giving God’s goodness. The evidence of this is what Jesus Christ is speaking about when he said in Luke 6:44 (NLT), “For every tree is known by his own fruit.”
We have been called by God to leave an imprint of His very nature in all that we do and every place that we go. People should be left with an impression of God’s grace as a result of our presence. Psalm 1:1 tells us that a person who forsakes the ways of the world and clings to God’s righteousness is blessed. Psalm 1:3 (NIV) tells us, “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.” The abundant way that Jesus Christ made available isn’t a path where we sit idly by in complacency. It’s a path that we walk happily, giving out of a heart that loves God. It’s a path where we produce the fruit of His goodness, and He continually replenishes us with more. ■
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide
“A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit” written by Vince Mack. Blessing Beads and More© 2017. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.