YOU DIDN’T CHOOSE ME. I CHOSE YOU.

YOU DIDN’T CHOOSE ME. I CHOSE YOU. “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...” John 15:16 KJV Jesus says something important here about why we were chosen. We were chosen to bear fruit. In John 15, Jesus is teaching about the vine and the branches. He is the vine. We are the branches. A branch has no life or ability to produce anything apart from the vine. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine...” John 15:4 KJV Fruit is the result of abiding in Christ. That includes the fruit produced in our character by the Holy Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance...” Galatians 5:22 through 23 KJV It also includes the work God produces through us. The New Testament teaches that every believer is given spiritual gifts for the benefit of the body of Christ. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” 1 Corinthians 12:7 KJV The gift is not the fruit. A spiritual gift is an ability given by the Holy Spirit. Fruit is what God produces through a life that remains connected to Christ. Someone can have a gift of teaching. The fruit is people learning truth and growing in Christ. Someone can have a gift of mercy. The fruit is hurting people being cared for. Someone can have a gift of giving. The fruit is needs being met and ministry being supported. Someone can have a gift of exhortation. The fruit is believers being strengthened and encouraged. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4 all teach that God distributes different gifts throughout His people. “Every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another...” 1 Peter 4:10 KJV Notice who the gift is for. “One to another.” God did not give us spiritual gifts so we could admire them, build an identity around them or compare ourselves with somebody else. He gave them to be used. Jesus said He chose us and ordained us to “go and bring forth fruit.” Then He added something easy to miss. “That your fruit should remain.” God is interested in fruit that lasts. Changed lives. Stronger believers. Truth passed down. People served. The Gospel preached. Disciples made. We were never chosen simply to occupy a seat in church. We were chosen to abide in Christ, use what He gave us and bear fruit. #MoreJoyMinistries