The Meaning of Life

Dear Brothers in Christ,

I pray that the Lord is giving you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him and that you are growing in your knowledge of the exceeding greatness of His power toward us, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in heavenly places. May we all more diligently cry out for knowledge, seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hidden treasure so we can receive the promise of God and find, understand, and walk in the power of His resurrection.

Desiring to "...stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the apostles of the Lord and Savior...," I have been meaning to follow up on my last letter, but have had a hard time getting to it. In order for this not to be another letter that never gets written, I have decided to go back to one of my old Quiet Time notebooks and just copy some thoughts that the Lord gave me concerning fruit bearing back in Jan. 1991. It answers the question, "What should be our drive, what should be our aim?" from my simplistic, meathead way of looking at things. I pray that this will be of some help to you. As always, I only ask that you consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things. (Acts 17:11, Proverbs 14:12,15, Job 34:3-4).

So, if I can only bear much fruit, then you will be glorified and I will be fulfilling my purpose for existence!!! So... HOW DO I BEAR MUCH FRUIT???

So, if I can only abide in you and you in me, I will:

                #1 bear much fruit
                #2 glorify God!

So, HOW DO I ABIDE IN CHRIST AND ALLOW HIM TO ABIDE IN ME? What does your Word say?

Our purpose then is to GLORIFY GOD (Isaiah 43:7).

If BEARING MUCH FRUIT = GLORIFYING GOD (John 15:8),
then Our purpose is to BEAR MUCH FRUIT.

If ABIDING IN CHRIST AND HE IN US produces much fruit (John 15:5),
then Our purpose is to ABIDE IN CHRIST AND HE IN US.

If KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS is abiding in Him and He in us
(as it is written in 1 John 3:24),
then Our purpose IS TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS!!!

Practical Application: I will make it my top priority in life to seek God, through prayerful meditation upon His word, and whenever He speaks, whenever He prompts me by His Spirit, it is my intention to obey Him. To do less, I cannot fulfill my very purpose for existence.

Remember, however, that having "...begun in the Spirit...", which is hearing and believing, we are not "...made perfect by the flesh (Galatians 3:2-3)". In the same way that we are saved by grace through faith we are also sanctified, as in Colossians 2:6, "As ye have, therefore, received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." So, although we are to obey Him with all that is within us, our confidence must never be in US, OUR efforts, OUR ability to see, or OUR ability to do. We must, as it says in Phillipians 3:3, "...rejoice in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh..." for it is Him, and Him alone, who enables us to do anything. If we look in God's Word, and see anything at all, we are assured that we had nothing to do with it. Remember, Jesus told Peter "...blessed are thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, who is in heaven." He could comprehend, and was commended by the Lord, but credit was given to God. If when the Spirit of God does reveal something to us and a desire to obey wells up within us, this also does not come from us. "For it is God who worketh in you...to will..." (Phil.2: 13). Our natural response is rebellion against God for we are "...not subject to the law of God, neither, indeed, can be." Therefore, when we realize that we have a desire to obey God, this too, is given to us by God. Finally, if having seen and having a will to obey we are enabled to "keep his commandments", it was God, and God alone, who did enable us. "For it is God who worketh in you to...do of his good pleasure." Yes, we must choose to obey him and we must will to serve him with all our hearts, our souls, our might, and our strength, but if, by the grace of God we are enabled to do so, the only scriptural thing to do is to praise Him, and Him alone. We obey with all our hearts but trust not in the least of our efforts. We by our will obey but our confidence must only be in Christ Jesus who died, was buried, and rose again for us. For it is only because of his death, burial, and resurrection, and the fact that we have been united with him in these that we are able to walk in newness of life and "keep his commandments". It is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, that we are saved and that we have the capability to obey him.

I hope you will get as much enjoyment out of thinking on these words of God as I have as I simply typed them. It is indeed true that "...the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;..."

If you have any feedback, any additional thoughts, or something you would like to share with me along the same lines, I would certainly love to hear from you.

May you be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.

in His service,
A Fellow Servant

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