Grow, work, and remain

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you” (John 15: 16). This was the Bible text the Chief Apostle used for the divine service in Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on 14 July 2024.

It is a gift, not a selection

Election by Jesus Christ is not a selection. Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider made this clear at the beginning of his sermon. This choosing is neither a calling of the “best”, nor is it a weeding out of the others, he said. “Jesus is simply saying that salvation is a grace from God that we cannot earn.”

That makes us humble. “We know that we will not be saved because we are better than others,” he said. And that makes us grateful. “We serve God because He has given us everything.”

What grows, works and remains

The Lord says here that we should bear fruit. There are various different ways to interpret this, the Chief Apostle explained.

Fruit is created when the plant develops. God has placed divine life within us. This life must develop. The Bible mentions longsuffering, kindness, gentleness, and self-control, among other things, as fruits of the Holy Spirit. The aim is to become more and more like Jesus, especially in our love for our neighbour.

Fruit contains seeds and nourishment. Bearing fruit means passing on the gospel of Christ by modelling one’s own life on it, securing the future of the Church, and giving people the comfort and care they need.

And finally, it is about the fruit of labour. However, this does not mean that God fulfils all of our wishes or protects us from all the evil around us, the Chief Apostle said. “What we want, and what God wants to give us, is eternal life.”

Jesus is the standard

The Lord also says, “Your fruit must remain.” That means that Jesus judges the fruit. “Sometimes we forget that the day of the Lord’s return will be a day of judgement.” Jesus made this a point in His parables again and again.

Christ will only accept those whose fruit corresponds to His will. The point here is not what the believers accomplish, but that they become more and more like Jesus Christ.

Praying as our role model prays

“The more our thoughts correspond to those of Jesus, the greater the likelihood that our prayers will be answered,” the Chief Apostle pointed out, citing examples from the Lord’s Prayer.

• Hallowed be Your name: “Everything we do serves to glorify His name. It is not for our own glory.”
• Your will be done: “Like Jesus, we want to do the will of God. Like God, we want our neighbour to be saved too.”
• Deliver us from the evil one: “Help me to get rid of these spirits and grant me Your mercy.”
• Your kingdom come: “And our greatest wish is: Come, Lord Jesus!”

“Such prayers are answered by God because they correspond to the prayers that Jesus says on our behalf.”