GOD'S WORD AND HIS SOVEREIGNTY part 3

                                          Here read John 15:4-5

"I am the vine, ye are the branches." Jesus is the vine, and the individual Christian being one of the branches can only bear fruit when the sap is flowing, and can only bear the type of fruit that God has given it to bear. The sap is symbolic of the Holy Spirit working inside the believer. When a Christian tries to produce fruit when the sap is not flowing, or tries to bear fruit that God has not given that Christian to bear, then he or she is trying to do that which God has not empowered them to do. The result will always be failure and unnecessary guilt for that Christian. Jesus also said: "without me ye can do nothing."

For these reasons, each Christian should pray mightily that God would reveal to them when the sap is flowing, and what fruit they are to bear for His glory. In order to know when the sap is flowing, each Christian should pray every day that God will keep them out of sin, which breaks communication with Him, and that He will keep their hearts in a state of sensitivity to the commands of the Holy Spirit so that they will obey Him in whatever He may ask them to do. In order to know what fruit to bear, every Christian should pray that God will reveal to them what gift He has given them, and then faithfully practice that gift whether it be an evangelist or a janitor. When a Christian lives this way, he or she will be obeying God's command to "Pray without ceasing." Then, being sure that one is in God's will, each Christian can feel free to lead a joyful and guilt free life, and not feel bad when he or she sits next to someone on a bus or plane and feels no need to witness to them. That Christian can have confidence in God that at that moment the sap is simply not flowing. That Christian can also have confidence that if God wants he or she to witness to that person, then he or she will unmistakeably feel the sap beginning to flow and the power of the Holy Spirit to help that Christian to be obedient. Every Christian can also be sure that God will reward them according to their obedience, and according to their faithfulness in practicing the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given them.