Bearing Fruit

Bearing Fruit "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God." 1 Corinthians 4:1 (NIV) Does the world see us as different? When living in full surrender to the Spirit of God, we ought to have a mystery about us that compels others to wonder what makes us different. The world should be in awe of the way we act and react because of the Spirit living out the will of the Father through us as followers of Christ. Francis Chan asks the question of what makes us different from the rest of the world (Forgotten God)? The Bible talks about the Fruit(singular) of the Spirit being evident in our lives. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:22-25 (NIV). Frances Chan talks about this as being a production of the Spirit's living in us and through us as we live in complete surrender to His will, rather than something we "strive" for through our own will or strength. The evidence of the Spirit is supernatural, and will cause us to be distinctly different from those who are "good" people. Although convicting, I am challenged to be and live fully surrendered as I pick up my cross daily and follow Jesus. My prayer is that Christians everywhere will do the same, so as to change the world.

Surrender

Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV) So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. [17] For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. As we open God's Word and attempt to develop a relationship with him, we put aside our human desires and fall more deeply in love with God. This leads to a relationship with the Holy Spirit that is unlike anything we can even imagine. As the Scripture says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Romans 8:26 (NIV). Surrendering to the will of the Spirit, brings a peace and a freedom that is beyond our ability to comprehend. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV). I pray that I will become fully surrendered to the Spirit's prompting, and that my light will shine in the world, so as to bring glory to God.