WITHOUTME

WITHOUT ME
Jesus gave His disciples some "facts" of Spiritual "life" one day. We might do well to ponder what He had to say about how to bear Spiritual fruit. He told them how to accomplish it, and no other way will work.
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
He told them it was useless to try to produce the fruit of the Spirit by their own efforts, good as they might be. The natural man cannot produce that which is supernatural, or Spiritual. Natural man can only bring forth what is often_ thought to be_ Spiritual fruit, but is not the real thing. We seem to have drifted into a Christian culture which tells us that a smiling face and a cheery word are the only things important. You and I both know that these can do nothing more than to fall short of the goal. Good breeding and refinement, desireable as they are, have nothing to do with Spiritual fruit. It is a product of His Spirit alone, and is created within us supernaturally.
When He said to abide in Him, He meant that we MUST find a way for our lives to be incorporated into Him.
Our relationship to Jesus Christ is of greatest importance in this matter. Notice the next verse John 15:5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: _FOR WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING._
Somewhere we have picked up the idea that fruit is what WE ARE ABLE TO DO FOR THE LORD. It is not. We can sing in the choir, teach a class, be an usher, pay our tithes regularly, and even take food to the hungry, and still not be producing fruit--be devoid of peace in our own heart, and love in our own soul, and the joy of close communion with the Lord in our daily life.
Fruit is produced by the Spirit in our hearts, and springs forth from within us. It is there when things are not going right, the same as when they do. It is there whether recognised and appreciated by others, or if it is not. It needs no audience, or recognition.
It grows out of a Spirit Filled life that livesin obedience to the known will of God, that surrenders itself to the Spirit of God, instead of the impulses of the fleshly nature.
II Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God;.