Abiding Fruit | The Institute for Creation Research
Abiding Fruit

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (John 15:16)

Every true Christian desires to be a fruit-bearing Christian, not one who is "barren" and "unfruitful" (2 Peter 1:8). He or she also earnestly desires that the fruit--whether that of a godly character (Galatians 5:22-23) or that of others won to Christ (Romans 1:13)--will not wither but remain strong and healthy before the Lord.

The promise of Christ in our text is that our fruit will remain, if He has chosen us and we go forth praying in His name and seeking sincerely to bear fruit for His name's sake. It is significant that the Greek word translated "remain" (that is, meno) is also commonly translated "abide," as well as "continue." In fact, it occurs no less than twelve times in John 15:4-16, the last being in our text verse above.

To "abide in Christ" does not mean to be continually aware of His presence or perpetually thinking only of Him, but it does mean to continue believing His Word and serving Him. "Continue ye in my love," He commands (v. 9). To do that, He says that, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love" (v. 10).

He also has said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed" (John 8:31). "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).

Note the progression. He says, "Abide in me, and I in you" (v. 4). This means, He says that "my words abide in you," and also that we are to "continue in my love," which implies that "ye keep my commandments." It follows then that, as we "continue" in His Word, we shall "bring forth fruit" which will "remain"! HMM

The Latest
DAYS OF PRAISE DEVOTIONALS
Summer 2023
...

CREATION PODCAST
I Have NO Credentials! | The Creation Podcast: Episode 50
Do you need a science degree to be a champion of creation? How do we communicate the truths of Scripture to our friends and family? The good news...

NEWS
Shark Jaws
Sharks are back in the news, and it’s in regard to their most formidable and fearsome structure—their jaws. Zoologists recently studied...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Established Day 4 | Creation.Live Podcast: Episode 13
Humans have long been fascinated by the night sky. As Psalm 19:1 reminds us, "The heavens declare the glory of God"—His creative signature...

NEWS
Physical Evidence Trumps Evolution Theory
One of the hallmarks of good science is to formulate a cogent theory based on the physical evidence. For example, if the physical evidence (e.g. a fossilized...

NEWS
Solar System Symmetries
Most all school children can recite the planets in our solar system using memory devices such as: “My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Names”...

NEWS
Does Iron Toast Union Rescue Long Ages?
The puzzle persists after all these years. On the one hand, biochemists perform decay rate studies that show biochemicals cannot last a million years...

CREATION PODCAST
The Industrious Efficiency of Bees | The Creation Podcast: Episode...
Bees? BEES! When it comes to these incredible insects, we often think of hives and honey—and stingers. But these little creatures are incredibly...

NEWS
Blinking Fish Transitioned to Land?
The mudskipper (Boleophthalmus caeruleomaculatus) of the order Perciformes, is a fascinating fish whose evolutionary origins are quite unknown. They...

NEWS
Man: Created to Walk Upright
One of the many serious problems with “human evolution” is how, when, why, and where our alleged apelike ancestors decided to rise and walk...