Appointed To Bear Fruit: A 90 Day JourneySample

Continually Abiding

The work of salvation is complete. Jesus paid our debt of sin, and salvation is made available to all who believe. Jesus has perfectly revealed the Father to us, so we can come to know God. Jesus will soon depart, and it will be time for the disciples to continue to do the work that Jesus did. Now, it’s our turn to act. God entrusted the spreading of salvation to us. Throughout John 13-17, God has promised us that we will bear much fruit as we abide in Him, through humility and self-denial. Jesus’ final statement in His prayer on this night is a prayer of promise. He promises to continue the work of making the Father’s name known. This promise is our hope, and our abiding in Christ is maintained and strengthened through continually growing in understanding the Father through His Word. The more we know the Father, the greater our faith will be, and the greater our obedience to the Father will be. 

Jesus’ death and resurrection was the greatest revelation of the Father’s love and righteousness. Once Jesus returned to the Father, He continues revealing the Father to us, so we are not abandoned in our mission. While Jesus commanded us to proclaim the gospel to all peoples, He also gave us the Spirit, so that we will have the power to fulfill His command. God wants you and I to do great things for Him, because the world needs to hear of the great salvation that God has provided for all who believe. In our struggle for the souls of the lost, we can confidently do the works that Jesus did, because we know that Jesus has promised to continue to work through us to make the Father known. This is not mission impossible. God has given us all we need to fulfill this mission. Therefore, we can work with all our strength, because we know that the great strength of God is at work through us.

Abiding in Christ is the key to doing the work that Jesus did. The Apostle Paul learned this lesson and practiced it in his ministry. Paul knew that he was weak, and the burden of ministry was overwhelming at times, even to the point where he wished he could die and be with the Lord (II Cor. 1:9). God permitted Satan to torment Paul through a “thorn in his flesh”. However, Paul remained strong and faithful and finished his race, because he knew the secret of abiding in Christ—“when I am weak, then I am strong” (II Cor. 12:10). Fruit-bearing is only possible if God does the work through us. That’s why Paul encourages Timothy to, “be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (II Tim. 2:1). Only by abiding in Christ and His work of grace, can we proclaim the gospel and bring a harvest of souls to the throne room of heaven. Praise God for His permanent abiding in us: We are His and He is ours.

Christ’s words in the Upper Room began, “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). The fulfillment of the Father’s plan of salvation was a result of Jesus’ great love for us. As Jesus ends His prayer, He once again draws our attention to that love. The love that brought Jesus to the Cross is the Father’s eternal love for the Son (John 17:24, 26). That love also motivates us to obey the Great Commission by doing the greater works that Jesus has prepared for us. There is no higher privilege than to be called to this task. Give your life, your family, and all your hopes and dreams to this endeavor. 

May your love for the lost and your desire to glorify God lead you to change the world by bringing many to heaven. Jesus is with you, abide continually in Him, because you have been appointed to bear fruit!