February 6, 2019
Author: Mark Bauer
February 06, 2019
John 15: 7 & 8 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
As we read this promise we might be tempted to be astonished. Jesus is promising that whatever we ask, He will give us? Is this an unconditional promise, that we can ask for anything we want, and Jesus will give it to us? No, if we come to that conclusion it is because we are forgetting the beginning of the verse which says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you”. This promise is conditional. For the person to benefit from this promise he or she must abide in Jesus. As we have learned, when we abide with Jesus, we will grow closer to Him. There is an increased one-ness and fellowship with Him. As this one-ness and fellowship grows, our wishes and desires become more and more aligned with Jesus.
One of Jesus’ desires is that we bear fruit. Verse 16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” Again, we see the promise that whatever we ask the Father will give us but here it is connected to fruit. Jesus chose us so that we might bear fruit. It is one of His desires for us. We are to bear fruit such as love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.
This is fruit that can be seen by the world. When it is seen it will result in two things. The end of verse 8 tells us, “…and so prove to be my disciples”. As the world sees the fruit in our lives it recognizes that we are Christ’s disciples. Second, and more importantly, we see at the beginning of the verse “by this My Father is glorified”. So, ask whatever you wish and, as you are bearing much fruit, the world will see it. In doing so, it will bring glory to God. Our prayers should align with Jesus’ wish and His desires for us. This should be one of our motives. When we pray, we can ask, “God help me to bear fruit in my life.”
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