For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
John 15
How can you remain in Christ today? What does it mean to “bear much fruit?” I struggled for a long time with what exactly the “fruit” is that we need to be producing. And then I had one of those “aha” moments. How do you identify an apple tree? It may look like an apple tree, but we know for certain when we see apples on it – the fruit. In the same way, people should be able to look at us and identify us as God’s children because of how we live.
I’m not just talking about what we do. More specifically, it’s how we do what we do; it’s what comes out of our hearts. We may go to church, help the poor, or whatever, and that is fine. We look like an apple tree. But what lets people know for certain that we belong to God is when we take on the attitude and character of Christ. That’s our fruit. As Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn. 13:35).
So the fruit we bear isn’t defined by any one simple thing. It’s about doing what Jesus commanded, even as He did what His Father commanded. It’s about carrying on His business as His closest friends, just as He went about doing the business of His beloved Father. There is a reason these things identify us as God’s. “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (Jn. 15:4b). You can’t be Godly without God.
2 Chron. 3-4
How would you describe Solomon’s attitude toward the task of building the temple? The temple Solomon built for God was extravagant. Rightly so, because our God is an extravagant God. There is nothing else like Him. Solomon wanted this temple to reflect that, and I believe it did. I really want to focus on the extravagance here, because extravagance goes against my grain. While that is often a very good and practical thing, I think it can also be very limiting in all the wrong ways.
As I said, our God is an extravagant God. And He is beyond generous. He spared nothing in His love for us. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and it is His pleasure to give His Kingdom to us. (see Ps. 50:10 and Lk. 12:32). God is not limited, and being stingy is not in His nature! So, while it is wise to be a good steward of the resources God gives us and to not frivolously waste them filling our own fleshly desires, it is also good to be generous, even extravagant, when it honors Him. As the saying goes, you can’t out give God. I need to stop living as though God’s resources are limited and dare to be extravagant as I give, serve, and honor Him.