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NASB | John 15:8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 15:8 "My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples. |
Subject: No Fruit? |
Bible Note: Hi, Val... In the sense that regeneration is the beginning of the blessings experienced by the believer, yes, it would be "first-base" as you put it. As my pastor said this Lord's Day, "When the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a person, he begins to bear fruit." We'll never outgrow the gospel. It is crucial to our redemption. It is crucial to our pursuit of holiness. It will be crucial upon our death. It will be crucial as we stand before Him. It will be crucial in our resurrection. It will be crucial to our glorification. It will be crucial to our eternity with Him. No, we'll never outgrow the gospel. Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become LIKE THEM [my emphasis]; so do all who trust in them. (Psalms 115:2-8 ESV) Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be LIKE HIM [my emphasis], because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:2-3 ESV) What a wonderful promise. We shall be like Him. Therefore, because He has purified us (Hebrews 1:3; 9:14), we pursue purity; because He has put off our flesh (Colossians 2:11-12), we put off the old and put on the new (Ephesians 4:20-24); because He has freed us from sin (Romans 6:22), we then live out freedom from sin (Galatians 4:9); etc. Great stuff! (Sorry, I gotta get off to bed.) In Him, Doc |