By Jasmine Gibeaut

This week, if we look closely at I John 4:7-21 and John 15:1-8, what’s the new lesson of the week? Abiding in Christ. We know that we abide in Him because we love others and do not hate. We love God when we do this too. No exceptions are made for hate. Either we abide in Him, or we don’t, clear as day. This same theme comes again in John 15 but just a little differently. As Christians, we do abide in Christ, but if we don’t “produce fruit,” we’ll get cut off. If we do produce fruit, God will prune us so that we can produce even more fruit as one of His branches. What is this fruit anyway? Well, if you want to put the two passages together, expressions of love would be the fruit. We must produce this, or else, we’re not really with Christ, are we?

                I know that this probably sounds harsh, black and white, but it’s the truth. I honestly don’t like coming to the revelation anymore than the next guy fearing for his spiritual life, but there it is. For this coming week, then, I would like to encourage you to produce the fruits of love in your life. What does it look like? How do we produce fruit like this? It’s all in what we do, such as being more patient with our neighbors maybe. We can also donate clothes to ministries like the Salvation Army. We can share the hopeful message of the Gospel with our friends or anyone that needs it. But don’t do these things just because they’re nice to do. Do it out of the love you have for God. Love others relentlessly; you’re His representative here on Earth. If you’re not being a good representative of Him, are you really being His representative? . . . Consider this our reflection of the week.