DRAWING
LIFE FROM GOD
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The
biblical concept of spiritual growth and maturity based on
drawing life from God is crucial for us to understand. Many
of us have grown up in the church trying to imitate God’s
character qualities rather than learning how to draw upon His
life the same way a tree draws life and nurture from the ground.
Ephesians 3:14-19 makes it clear that followers of Jesus must
learn to become rooted and grounded in God’s love. The
illustration below refers to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians
5:22). This principle is found through out the scriptures.
Psalm 1 refers to a person who learns to draw upon God’s
ways (his law) being like a tree planted by streams of water.
The result is that fruit is produced in due season and whatever
he or she does prospers.
Our
fruitfulness requires abiding in God’s
life.
Rooted & grounded
in God’s
love . . .
Fruit
bearing is much different than trying to imitate a good life.
It’s the difference between imitation crab meat
and the real thing. The imitation meat at first glance looks
authentic. It even has the same color. But it’s not the
real thing. When put to the test it will fail eveytime.
Acting
patient, loving etc. is not the way Jesus produces fruit
in our lives. In fact it becomes weary and burdensome, and
when we are put to the test our love and joy will be not
be sustainable. Learning to draw life from Jesus means that
we actually become the kind of people who naturally (based
on God’s grace at work) produce love, joy, peace, etc.
His love, his joy, his peace is the real thing and will be
able to sustain us no matter what circumstance we find ourselves
in.
For
example 1 John 4:7-9 NASB says …
"Beloved,
let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone
who loves is born of God and knows God. (8) The one who does
not love does not know God, for God is love. (9) By this
the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His
only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through
Him."
Clearly
this text teaches that love comes from God. He is the source.
Everyone who loves is born of God. In other words, the natural
result of being born of God is His love being manifested
in our lives. Verse 9 then says we are to learn how to live
(literally) through God’s Son, Jesus.
Now
reflect on the familiar passage referred to earlier from
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love…" The
Spirit is God’s Spirit, alive and well, working in us
and producing His love in our lives through His grace.
This
is wonderful news, but it also provokes some questions in
us. If I am a follower of Jesus, and I have invited Him into
my life why am I not more loving, joyful, peaceful, etc.?
Isn’t this supposed to be natural and automatic? It is
a natural result of abiding and dwelling in God’s life,
but that process is not automatic.
Unlike trees that have roots that go deep into the soil in
which they are planted, we look more like the picture below.
SPIRITUAL
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