Life Marks: SIGNIFICANT

God has a plan for each of us, and that plan is a good plan. Some people assume that if it’s God’s plan for them, it must be stifling, boring, and maybe even a little “weird.” The Old Testament historical documents record God telling the ancient Israelites that He had a plan for them, “…a plan for their welfare and not for calamity, in order that they might have a great future filled with hope” (Jer. 29:11). That sounds pretty appealing to me, as I’m sure it did for the Israelites.

Now that we have entered into the New Covenant, where both Jew and Gentile make up what we call “the church,” God continues to have a plan for His children. Knowing that He has a plan for us, a good and productive plan, makes all the difference in the world when we consider our purpose for “hanging around” on planet Earth. Let’s look more closely at some of the important aspects of our “significance.”

Jesus used a metaphor to describe His relationship with His disciples by saying that He was the “true Vine,” and that His followers were the “branches.” The purpose of the grapevine is to bear grapes, and if it doesn’t bear grapes, it becomes useless. He said that if they were going to bear any fruit at all, they had to remain connected to the Vine. This brings us to a very important spiritual truth – The branches do not “produce” the fruit, they only “bear” it. I love this metaphor because it takes us out of the realm of “religion” and into the realm of “relationship.” Jesus did not say that if they kept a bucket full of rules and regulations, or performed a multitude of religious rituals, that they would bear fruit. No, they had to stay connected with Him, the true Vine, the One who was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven where He continues to provide all of the resources we need in order to “bear fruit.” We just have to stay connected in a personal relationship with the true Vine, Jesus Christ. 

So, just what is this “fruit” that He wants us to bear? In a general sense, it is the “fruit of influence.” Our lives are intended to influence others in a positive way, to be both “salt” and “light” in a dark world. In fact, Jesus told His followers that they were the “salt” of the earth, providing “zest” and to be a “preserver” of all that is good. And He also told them that they were the “light of the world” (Mt. 5:13-16). Before I develop this thought a bit more, it’s important to understand that Jesus did not say that if they did “such and such” they would soon become “salt” and “light.” No, He said, “You are salt and light….” He wasn’t talking about sometime in the future, but at the present time. Something was present in them to cause them to be (in their very being) both “salt” and “light.” What was it?

The Apostle John began His gospel by telling us that “In Him was LIFE,” and the LIFE He possessed was the “light of men” (Jn. 1:4). As we have seen previously, the LIFE that He possessed during His earthly ministry is the same LIFE that He gives to His children today. It is spiritual LIFE, a gift from God that changes everything. It is the very “essence” of LIFE, something that He had always intended for us to have. And because He possessed LIFE in Himself, He was the light that shone in the darkness around Him.

Jesus made this even more clear when, during His early ministry, He referred to Himself as “The Light of the World” (Jn. 8:12). And He then went on to say that, “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12). So here is the amazing connection – Those who have the LIFE that only Jesus can give, also have the LIGHT that proceeds from the LIFE He has given them. That’s why Jesus told His disciples that they were “the light of the world,” which is just what He said of Himself. He alone possesses LIFE, and then He gives it to us as a gift, and because LIGHT is the product of the LIFE that He has in Himself, He now allows us to shine, just as His disciples did two thousand years ago. And it was all because of the LIFE He had given them, and which He also gives to us today. 

I know that some of you reading this blog were not raised with any “religious” background, and I praise God that you have chosen to read my blogs. At the same time, many of you were raised in Sunday school, like I was. During those early years, we heard some exciting Bible stories and sang some really wonderful songs. Who said that they were only for children? Well, one of my favorites has always been the one that goes like this, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine….let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.” How do we do that? Well, we allow His LIFE to shine through us, and in so doing, we become people of influence. We become people who will influence others for those things that are good, honorable, and right. And ultimately, our desire is to allow His LIFE to shine through us to the extent that others will witness our lives and desire to possess the gift of LIFE that we have received, the gift that comes only from Jesus Christ.

Well, as you might expect, there is more to be said about SIGNIFICANCE, but that will have to wait until next week. Hope to see you then.