Fruit to Eternal Life - Part 2

.... In our previous posting we described the interpersonal element of the judgment, by which we mirror the life of Jesus in our own as He abides in us and we are conformed to His image. For ultimately, our lives must be judged in relation to God the Father Himself, as a comparison to Him, for the purpose of glorifying Him alone -- and it is only through Jesus that this match can be complete. For He Himself is the crux of this comparison in our lives:

.... "being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

(Philippians 1:11)

.... As the firstborn of God and our elder brother, Jesus became a prototype to help us understand this concept clearly, so let’s survey the judgment from His own perspective. God was truly revealed in Jesus, through word and deed, and therefore He will be fully glorified in His Son on that Day (John 14:31; Philippians 2:11; 1 Peter 4:11). The matchup is perfect. And because the Father is glorified in Christ, He will exalt Him, and will immediately glorify Jesus in Himself (John 13:32).

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.... This becomes the pattern in which we, ourselves, will follow. For Jesus, in turn, has been revealed in His saints, and together we will manifest His whole being as we are conformed to His image in this world (Romans 8:29; 12:2; John 17:10; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2 Thessa- lonians 1:10). So on this last and greatest of days, our lives will be viewed through a similar, living bond with Jesus: "Was He exemplified in our lives, and thus glorified, or were we sons who caused Him shame?" (1 Corinthians 4:5; Ephesians 5:1-8; Philippians 1:10-11; 1 Peter 1:14-17; 1 John 2:29x28).

.... "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us."

(Ephesians 5:1-2)

.... It has been said that ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’, and the underlying concept of the Judgment, described here, is very similar. Because Jesus is manifest through our lives, we will bring forth fruit thereby. Thus He becomes our fruit to eternal life, as we abide in Him:

.... "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

(John 6:27; see Romans 8:29)

.... But on the other hand, the things in our lives that detract from His glory or compete with it will perish utterly – as the grass of the field, or the flower whose glory fades. For God will yet be exalted above prideful things, in destroying them:

.... "‘All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you."

(1 Peter 1:24-25; Isaiah 40:6-8)

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We will continue this discussion in our next posting.

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Daily Bible Reading:

Now that you’ve finished reading the four gospels, Jesus would have shown you how His sufferings and glory fulfilled the Old Testament’s prophecy (Luke 24:27, 44-45). To offer something as similar as possible, a special break-out module has been prepared: The Sufferings and the Glory. For today, please read the Chapter 1 Introduction, and Chapter 1 itself, in this module. .