“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Something beautiful happens when people give their lives to God. “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11) When we let the Holy Spirit fill our hearts and guide us towards heaven, we will receive the power to be filled with the fruits of righteousness. He will give us power to overcome temptation and have the victory, and He will create a complete change of character and purpose in our lives.
There is an interesting verse in Isaiah that gives an amazing promise. “Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance” (Isaiah 19:25). In those days, Egypt, Assyria, and Israel had become full-on pagan countries. Both Egypt and Assyria had persecuted and hurt God’s people and were very wicked. The Israelites (the ten tribes that broke off from Judah) had opportunities in which they could have let God lead in their lives, but they left them unimproved. But look what happens when they surrendered themselves to the LORD. He calls them “my people” and “the work of my hands”, even though they have done so much to hurt their Creator! What a transformation when people today, whose lives are like Egypt, Assyria, or Israel, turn to God. He does the mighty work of renewing their hearts and filling them with the fruits of righteousness.
“Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.” (Hosea 14:8). This tribe was the same one of which was testified that it “was joined to idols”, and the command was given to “let him alone” (Hosea 4:17). Even then, if they would let the LORD back into their hearts, He would heal their backsliding, and work through them to accomplish His purposes of changing their characters and molding them into His image. Even when they had been such far wanderers from the path of life.
These wonderful redemptions were not because of anything Egypt, Assyria, Israel, or Ephraim did. Well, all they did was turn back to the LORD and surrender themselves to His leading, but they actually could not do even this in their own power. They made the choice, but it was only because God had wooed them to Him. God did everything, with their permission, from leading their stubborn hearts to transforming their wicked characters. The Bible says, “From Me is thy fruit found”, not “From thee is thy fruit found.” We can do nothing for our salvation of ourselves.
When we are connected to Christ, as close as the relationship between the vine and the branches in a plant, He will do mighty things through us. We can do all things through Him, and there is nothing that is impossible when we are connected to Him, moment by moment. Then, when we have experienced this victory, we can positively say, “O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.” ~Psalm 116:16.
-Lilienne Stafford
Something beautiful happens when people give their lives to God. “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11) When we let the Holy Spirit fill our hearts and guide us towards heaven, we will receive the power to be filled with the fruits of righteousness. He will give us power to overcome temptation and have the victory, and He will create a complete change of character and purpose in our lives.
There is an interesting verse in Isaiah that gives an amazing promise. “Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance” (Isaiah 19:25). In those days, Egypt, Assyria, and Israel had become full-on pagan countries. Both Egypt and Assyria had persecuted and hurt God’s people and were very wicked. The Israelites (the ten tribes that broke off from Judah) had opportunities in which they could have let God lead in their lives, but they left them unimproved. But look what happens when they surrendered themselves to the LORD. He calls them “my people” and “the work of my hands”, even though they have done so much to hurt their Creator! What a transformation when people today, whose lives are like Egypt, Assyria, or Israel, turn to God. He does the mighty work of renewing their hearts and filling them with the fruits of righteousness.
“Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.” (Hosea 14:8). This tribe was the same one of which was testified that it “was joined to idols”, and the command was given to “let him alone” (Hosea 4:17). Even then, if they would let the LORD back into their hearts, He would heal their backsliding, and work through them to accomplish His purposes of changing their characters and molding them into His image. Even when they had been such far wanderers from the path of life.
These wonderful redemptions were not because of anything Egypt, Assyria, Israel, or Ephraim did. Well, all they did was turn back to the LORD and surrender themselves to His leading, but they actually could not do even this in their own power. They made the choice, but it was only because God had wooed them to Him. God did everything, with their permission, from leading their stubborn hearts to transforming their wicked characters. The Bible says, “From Me is thy fruit found”, not “From thee is thy fruit found.” We can do nothing for our salvation of ourselves.
When we are connected to Christ, as close as the relationship between the vine and the branches in a plant, He will do mighty things through us. We can do all things through Him, and there is nothing that is impossible when we are connected to Him, moment by moment. Then, when we have experienced this victory, we can positively say, “O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.” ~Psalm 116:16.
-Lilienne Stafford
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