30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 24 50-53 THE BLESSING OF GOD 10 22May2022 Luke 24 50-51 The seriousness of fruit-bearing
📖 Luke 24:50-53
10 – 22May2022 – The seriousness of fruit-bearing - Luke 24:50-53 - THE BLESSING OF GOD - Bible reading: _Galatians 5:22-25
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You have blessed us to be fruitful. Being fruitful is to bless and enrich others. In blessing others, we ourselves are built up. This is the very foundation for life. Lord Jesus, have mercy on us, for our eyes need to be opened to see this precious truth. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
The Lord blessed the disciples as He ascended into heaven.
Luke 24:50-51 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. (51) Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.
We are now considering the creation blessing. There are five dimensions in the creation blessing and we are looking at each of them.
Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
As God created man, God breathed His breath into the nostrils of man and man became a living being. The evidence of man being alive was that mankind was to be concerned for one another.
Man was created to see and meet the needs of others, first. In doing so, a man’s own needs would be met. This was how God set up the structure of society.
We see how far we have fallen. We think of ourselves, first, and then, if possible, we think of others. This is sin and its effect. Sin is about the self. Sin has made us inward-looking and society is in the grip of selfishness.
If we are not thinking of others, first, then the big question is, are we alive at all?! The evidence of life in us is that we consider others, first. If there is no fruit-bearing in us or we are still thinking of ourselves, first, then we can be sure that we have not come into the new creation life in Christ.
When we are born into the family of God, the Holy Spirit is in residence in us. The evidence of the Holy Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (24) And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the medium by which we connect and bless people. Every time we notice our self, wanting our own need to be met, first, we must take it to the cross. It is only when the self is crucified with Christ that we will experience the flow of the Holy Spirit from within us, to bless others through the fruit of the Spirit. This is the experience of walking in the Spirit.
There is no law against us from walking in the Spirit. The law is fulfilled when we think of others, first.
Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."/ Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. /Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
The Holy Spirit empowers us to live for others. Therefore, when we walk in the Spirit, which we have explained already, we will meet the righteous requirement of the law.
Romans 8:4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
There is no context which we say is hostile and we cannot witness Christ. In all contexts, we can be those who walk in the Spirit, evidencing the fruit of the Spirit, as the medium by which we reach and bless people around us.
This is the basis for us to claim that we are saved by grace through faith.
Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast. (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
The new life in Christ is seen in us by walking in the Spirit, which is by crucifying the self on the cross and blessing people around us through the medium of the fruit of the Spirit.
If our life is not bearing fruit then the verdict is that there is no life of Christ in us.
Matthew 7:19-20 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20) Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
If we are not concerned for others, first, then the tree has to be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thought to ponder
John 15:8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.