The Joy of Fruitfulness (John 15:8-11)

 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:8-11).

The greatest joy a believer can have is to glorify the Father. We glorify the Father by keeping the commandments. Why? Because it is an act of love. 

Many of us, at some point in our lives, have experienced legal repentance. That is repenting for fear of judgment. This kind of repentance is born not of love but of fear. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love” (1Jn 4:18).

Beloved, if you learn to obey out of love and gratitude for what God has done for you, your heart will be filled with joy. There will be no fear, only blessed assurance.

The key is abiding in the Vine. However, even more fundamental is believing in the Vine. Because “. . . without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb 11:6). If this is you, then you may have confidence in the love of God. “. . . there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1).

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:35-39). Amen.