Living In Love

Good morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share the word of God with you this morning. Let us go straight to the Word, as the Holy Spirit will guide me to share with you today.

We have just read from the scripture in John 15. It says, "I am the True Vine, and my Father is the vine grower." There is something very interesting here that we all should take note of: Jesus says He is the True Vine. What does this mean? It tells us that there are other types of vines that are not true vines, and if we follow them, we may lose our way. The Father is the vine grower, and He removes every branch in Me that bears no fruit. In other words, if we remain in the Father, we will bear fruit. But if we are outside the Father, we will not bear the fruit that He requires of us.

Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, so that it will bear even more fruit. The Bible says, "You have been cleansed by the word I have spoken to you." This reminds us that the word of God is very important in our lives, because it cleanses us and helps us to stay in accordance with God’s will.

Jesus says, "Abide in Me, as I abide in you." This means that when we trust God, when we make the decision to stay in Jesus, we must truly remain in Him. Abiding means not being in and out but making it our habit, our lifestyle. It’s living with the understanding that God is with us. We no longer live a life of our own, but the life of Christ who lives in us.

The Bible goes on to say, "Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me." This is very true. We know from our own experience, especially those of us who are farmers, that any tree with branches will not survive unless those branches remain attached to the tree. Similarly, we can do nothing for ourselves or for others unless we remain in Christ Jesus. Amen. Praise God.

Jesus continues, "Those who abide in Me, and I in them, bear much fruit." It’s not just about bearing fruit, but God desires that we bear much fruit. How do we know if we are bearing fruit or not, and what kind of fruit are we talking about? We are talking about bringing many into the fold of Jesus Christ. Our lives should be centered in Christ, and whatever we do should attract others and bring more people to God.

You can live a life that will push people away from God. If others see your life and think, "If this is what being a Christian is like, then I don't want to be a Christian," then you are not bearing fruit for Christ. However, when you live according to the lifestyle of Jesus Christ, people will admire you. They will look at your life and say, "If this is what Christianity is, then I want to be a Christian." That is bearing fruit. But if you push people away with your actions, then you are not bearing fruit for God.

The Bible also says, "Whoever does not abide in Me is thrown away like a branch." God never forces anyone to follow Him. It is your decision whether to follow God or not. God does not force you. He is the author of what we call democracy — He allows you to make a choice according to your will. But He says, "If you remain in Me, you will bear much fruit. Apart from Me, you can do nothing."

Whoever does not abide in Me is thrown away, like a branch that withers and dies. God will leave you to your own devices, and, like a lost child without the protection of their parents, you will be vulnerable. Just as children who reject their parents often end up in trouble, if we reject God, we are on our own, without His protection. Anything can happen to us. But those who abide in God are assured of His protection, no matter the circumstances.

Jesus says, "If you remain in Me, whatever you ask will be given to you." This is a big statement, and it is true: whatever we ask, we will receive. But we must remember that what we ask for must be in accordance with God’s will. Some things, if we ask for them, may not bring glory to God, and He may choose not to grant them. But if it aligns with His will, He will surely give it to us.

God loves us so much. From the very beginning, He wanted man to be His companion, to be close to Him. We see this in the story of Noah, where God found Noah to be a righteous man. God wanted to save Noah because of his righteousness. At that time, the world was corrupt, with heavenly beings coming down and taking women as wives, leading to the birth of giants who did not follow God. This angered God, and He decided to wipe out all living things.

But God loved Noah, and He gave him instructions to build an ark. This was not a small boat, but a huge structure. God provided for Noah to seal the ark with pitch, making it waterproof. This was no easy task, but God provided because He loved Noah. When Noah and his family entered the ark, God Himself shut them in, ensuring that no one could open it from the outside, and Noah couldn’t open it from the inside, until the right time. God wanted to protect Noah, and He preserved him during the flood.

Similarly, God will take care of us. If we listen to His Word and abide in it, He will protect us. God’s love for us is like no other. He will take us through the storms of life, just as He took Noah through the flood. God’s love for us is unmatched.

It is not difficult to know whether we are living a life pleasing to God. If you read the letters to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, you will see that Jesus gives feedback to each church. We can look at ourselves and see which church we belong to. Where does God see our strengths and weaknesses? What do we need to improve on? If we follow Jesus, we will find the way to God. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." If we follow Jesus, we have God, and we are better off because He is the source of all life.

God has always wanted us to be with Him, and that is why He sent His Son to redeem us. Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we may live. When the trumpet of God sounds, we will go to be with Him, and we will live with Him forever.

God is a loving God, and He commands us to love one another. As I stand here today, I urge you to love one another, for this is the will of God. There is no better way to please God than to live in love. When Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest, He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind." But He also said, "Love one another." This is how we show that we love God. It is hard to love God, whom we cannot see, if we do not love the people around us.

Praise God. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, we give thanks to You. We worship You and glorify Your name. Thank You for this wonderful day. We pray that we may live in Your love, so that when the trumpet sounds, we will gather unto You. Christ has promised to make a place for us, and this is our desire — that we shall live with You, God, in the days without end forever. In Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.