In a world where professional success is often measured by financial gain, there lies a deeper, more fulfilling approach rooted in biblical principles. Inspired by an article from James Ellis, a successful businessman in the film industry, this teaching explores how abiding in God's Word can lead to profound success in life and business. By applying the four key principles shared by Ellis—thinking big, respecting God's timing, acquiring necessary skills, and practicing the principle of giving—we can experience both spiritual and professional growth. Join us as we delve into John 15 and discover how to bear much fruit in every aspect of our lives. Let's learn the blueprint for success.
I'd like to share what I've learned from an article inside the most recent magazine edition. The article is "Far-Reaching Professional Success" by James Ellis (page 14 in this The Way.org Magazine). James is from Vista, California, and he is a successful businessman in the film industry.
Please turn to John 15.
He starts the article with a verse. Psalms 128:1, “Blessed is every one that feareth (or respects) the Lord; that walketh in His ways.”
James writes, "I would like to present a few principles of walking in God's ways that I apply. They have certainly made me happy and successful in business. For believers, there is more to success and happiness than just financial gain. We are interested in moving the Word of God over the world, and our involvement in any business gives us a great opportunity to do that. Whether we own a corporation or are an entrepreneur or an employee, every twenty-four hours, we have a profound opportunity to move the positive godly truths about life in our culture."
James gives four Biblical principles of walking in God’s ways that he has applied for years because they work for him. We can apply these principles to our lives and businesses, too, and see success.
Principle #1: Think big.
Principle #2: God's timing is important when executing an idea.
Principle #3: Acquire the skills necessary to be your best in your occupation or field.
Principle #4: Practice the principle of giving.
In his article, for each principle, James provides personal insight and several verses that apply to certain situations in life. In every situation in life or business, we find the verse, the promise of God, the spiritual truth, for that situation, and we apply it, and act on it. We get the verse in our heads, put it on our hearts, we think upon those things, we speak those truths, we confess the positive, and we act on what we believe, in order to receive, and to see the results of our believing action.
Believe. Act. Receive.
So, Principle #1. Think big. James asks, "How do we picture ourselves? How do we see ourselves? Do we see ourselves as God sees us? If we do, that's thinking big."
Well, how big is big? Here's how big big is. We have God in Christ in us. I have God in Christ in me. That's how I see myself. That's how we see ourselves, because that's how God sees us. We have been given the gift of holy spirit. That’s big. That means we have been given the power and authority to make things happen, in our lives and in our jobs.
James writes, "Who allows us to think this big? God does. What is it contingent on? Ultimately it is our responsibility to match our thinking to Christ's thinking and act on it. And when we do, we will bear much fruit. Fruit develops only when the right conditions are met."
James includes John 15:4, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."
Huh? What does that mean? John 15:7 says, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” Believe. Ask. Receive.
That sounds like a great formula for a successful life and business, right? “Ask what ye will, and it shall be done.” How? How shall it be done? Abide. What does abide in John 15 mean? Abide is the Greek work “men-o” and it means to remain and wait, in place, do not leave, continue to be present. Abide also means to live, continually, to endure. Abide also means to remain as one, don’t become another or different.
So, what are these vine, branch, and fruit references in John 15?
A long time ago, I had a grandmother, grandmother Gromicko. She died when I was young, but I remember going over her house, and in the backyard, she had vines, with a ton of fruit, grapes. And the vines were thick and dense, full, and tall. And there was the big vine, a branch, and the fruit.
And in John 15:1, we read, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." Now, “husbandman” is the tiller of the soil, the vine dresser, the land worker, the farmer.
Okay, so we have: God is the farmer, Jesus is the vine.
In John 15:5, we read, "I am the vine (Jesus), ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me, ye can do nothing." So, Jesus is the vine, and we’re the branches. And we can’t bear fruit alone, by ourselves. Without Jesus Christ, we can do nothing.
Like James (author), I have a successful business. There is so much going on in my business, 31 employees, courses, classes, webinars, videos, conventions, etc. How do I do it? How do I manage it all? John 5:30 says, “I can of mine own self do nothing.” The same thing is true with John 15:5, “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me, ye can do nothing."
Okay, so we have God is the farmer, Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. We are to abid and remain in place with Jesus Christ (the holy spirit, God in Christ in me) because we can’t do anything alone. What's the fruit?
This fruit in John 15 is the Greek word "kar-pos", and it means "that which originates or comes from something, an effect, the result." And that fruit, which results and comes from something else, is the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit that comes from the holy spirit.
Okay, so we have God is the farmer, Jesus is the vine (can’t do anything without God in Christ in me, as we remain and abide and stay present), we are the branches that hold forth the fruit, of the spirit.
What exactly is the fruit of the Spirit referred to in John 15 (which James refers to in his business-success article?) The fruit of the Spirit is described in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
God (farmer), Jesus (vine), us (branches, can’t do anything without holy spirit, which is God in Christ abiding in us), the fruit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance).
And that’s what James is talking about that results in a successful business: this fruit. This fruit is available and can be distributed, when you have a successful life (or business).
Fruit of the spirit is cultivated in our lives much like a fruit-bearing vine does. I still remember how, in the late summer, I was able to pick grapes from the branches of my grandmother's fruit-bearing vines, because she nurtured them, cultivated the vines to grow.
In order for those vines to bear fruit, first, something had to be planted in the soil, like a farmer planting a seed in the good ground. As the vines grew, developed, and matured, eventually, they produced fruit to enjoy.
Spiritually, our lives develop in a similar way. A person receives God’s seed, the gift of holy spirit, when they confess Jesus as lord and believe that God raised him from the dead. The life in this spiritual seed is activated and grows to maturity as a born-again believer walks by the spirit, operating the manifestations of the spirit (which produces fruit).
These manifestations (there are 9 of them) are listed in I Corinthians 12, and they are speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirits, faith (believing), miracles, and gifts of healings. Operating these manifestations in our lives produces the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance).
A person can be a Christian, having holy spirit within, and yet not produce any fruit of the spirit because the spirit is only potential power until it is operated. What must happen between the seed being planted and the fruit being produced is our cultivation, or nurturing of the seed, as we live or walk by the spirit.
We are to walk by the spirit, which includes (i) walking (thinking, believing, speaking, and acting, living) by the Word that we know (the spiritual truths, the promises in God's Word, the written revelation that we know)... and (ii) by the operation of the nine manifestations of the spirit. We are to walk, and to operate, to manifest, and that produces fruit.
Producing the fruit of the spirit profits not only our own lives but also the lives of those we know, fellowship with, help out, love, and minister to.
In the context of life and business, this article and John 15 teach us what results when we have the holy spirit abiding in us.
John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
John 15:12 teaches us how to treat each other. John 15:12, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” And love is one of the fruit of the spirit, right?
So, that’s just a small part of the article that I wanted to share with you. I highly encourage you to take a look at the business success article by James Ellis in the recent The Way Magazine. And keep on abiding in love and producing fruit of the spirit in order to live a life filled with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
Through the powerful analogy of the vine and branches in John 15, we learn that true success stems from abiding in Christ and cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. By embracing the principles of thinking big, respecting God's timing, acquiring skills, and giving generously, we can see transformative results in our lives and businesses. Let these timeless biblical truths guide your professional journey, helping you to bear fruit that not only prospers your endeavors but also enriches the lives of those around you. Embrace these lessons, abide in God's love, and watch as your life flourishes with love, joy, peace, and more.
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