Bearing Much Fruit
"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) When Jesus says we can do "nothing" without Him, He's not suggesting we are unable to do things, just nothing of eternal or spiritual significance. It is quite possible for us to set and reach goals, to make names for ourselves, or even to become successful without God. Empires, nations, fortunes, and great legacies have been built by folks who have never taken a second to acknowledge the Lord. Many magnanimous feats have been done without a single prayer lifted to heaven. Jesus, though, is looking toward the day when our works and words will be judged according to God’s holy standard — and His standard is Christ. Nothing short of perfection will withstand His white-hot scrutiny. The sharp two-edged sword that proceeds from His mouth will separate the worthy from the worthless — and separate the things He did in us ...