Living to love with Jesus bears fruit for God’s glory.

Romans 8:7-8 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. In today’s Live to Love Scripture encouragement we see another reason to discourage us from trying to live without Jesus. Not only are our efforts to love, do good, and obtain righteousness in the flesh death, but the person who wishes to do so is hostile to God. Why is the mind set on the flesh hostile to God? Because God only gets glory if the deed done originates from the mind of God for the glory of God and is accomplished through the Son of God by the Spirit of life in Him. Flesh desires the glory for itself. It wants the credit and the reward. Due to pride, flesh does not and cannot accept or agree to God’s assignment for it, namely, to be weak, enslaved to sin and death, and unable to bear fruit pleasing to God. This is illustrated by asking people if they think they will go to heaven when they die. Most people will say that they will go to heaven. When asked why should God let them into heaven, they will say something like, “Well, I’ve been a pretty good person. I’m not a bad person.” Saying that, they testify to their hostility toward God. They have no desire to see God get all the glory for their entrance into heaven. It’s not even a thought in their minds. Another form of hostility toward God is to think that God will let one into heaven because they chose of their own free will to accept Jesus or believe in Him. They think flesh is able to choose to believe or exercise faith without the work of God. They react negatively to the idea that faith is a free gift of God to those He has chosen in Christ. That is the thinking of a mind set on the flesh that is hostile to God. It will not submit to God’s assignment to the flesh. It can’t because pride demands to get the glory. It’s impossible to please God depending on anything in ourselves. Can you see what Paul was saying about the mind set on the flesh? Can you see why I say that God has called us to live to love with Jesus? When we live dependent on the Spirit of life in Christ and are empowered to love others by the Holy Spirit, we glorify God by displaying His fruit. We are the fruit-laden branch of the grapevine. Believing, living, and loving in union with Jesus is what pleases God. John 15:5 and 7-8 state this clearly. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” Living to love with Jesus bears fruit for God’s glory.