“By receiving the Gifts and by abiding in Him, we are empowered to function like Him, to reflect His character to the world.”

“By receiving the Gifts and by abiding in Him, we are empowered to function like Him, to reflect His character to the world.”

TEXT:

Chapter 7, Page 68 –

So, what’s the Lord’s will for you and me? What does the Lord passionately, lovingly, thoughtfully, hopefully desire for us? We have spent the last several conversations exploring the will of God for us; that is, through a discussion of the Three Gifts (Chapter 4), by outlining the impact of living in the Gospel of R-G-B (Chapter 5), by discovering what it means to walk with God (Chapter 6). 

However, in the context of this conversation, Jesus expressed the will of God when He said: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:4-8).

Jesus has summarized nicely our last three conversations: By receiving the gifts, by abiding in Him, we are empowered to function like Him, to reflect His character to the world, letting our “light so shine before men that . . . they glorify [our] Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).