-
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
- Carol Reinmiller on September 26, 2022: Day 208 – Psalm 119
- Robert Bronkema on August 31, 2022: Day 187 – II Thessalonians 1-3 and Psalm 79-80
- Pam on August 31, 2022: Day 187 – II Thessalonians 1-3 and Psalm 79-80
- Robert Bronkema on April 19, 2022: Day 84 – Isaiah 6-10 and Psalm 149
- Carol Reinmiller on April 19, 2022: Day 84 – Isaiah 6-10 and Psalm 149
Archives
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
Categories
Meta
March 26, 2016: Day 83 – John 15
First of all I have to apologize that this post did not make it in yesterday. Bummer. But now it is posted so let's go ahead and analyze chapter 15 of John. It begins somewhat harshly where Jesus is called the vine and those who follow him and bear no fruit are cut off from him. That is pretty harsh. One question that is brought up as a result of these verses is once we are disciples of Jesus Christ, can we ever really fall out of grace? Simply put, is it truly once saved always saved? Can we lose our salvation?
The simple answer is absolutely not. We cannot lose our salvation. It is once saved, always saved. What Jesus is addressing here is what is our responsibility once we are in the fold? Once we are a branch what do we need to do? The answer is given throughout these verses. We have to bear fruit. But we are not able to bear fruit unless we are in Jesus. This is a key point in these Scriptures. The only way that we are able to bear fruit is if we are with Jesus.
That fruit that we are commanded to bear is in one simple word: love. Verse 13 is a key verse to not only this chapter, but to our actual Christian walk. There is no greater love than a person laying down their life for someone else. The image that immediately comes to mind is that Palestinian father covering up his boy while he is being shot at by the Israeli military. It is a painful image that ends with the death of the boy. But the father tries desperately to cover him. For some reason this verse comes to mind.
Finally Jesus says that the world is going to hate those who follow him. He uses the word hate and doesn't in any way make it sound nice or antiseptic. He tells us that we don't belong to the world. I am pretty sure that a very common mentality that many Christians have is that we are to live in this world the best possible way that we can. That is not what Jesus says here. We are to live our lives in such a way that the world hates us. Let me say that again. We are to live our lives in such a way that the world hates. They shouldn't hate us because we are mean or unkind. The world should hate us because we love one another.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.