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“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…”
— John 15:16
The central theme of this song is divine choice and lasting fruit. It confronts a basic error in much of contemporary Christianity: the idea that the Christian life begins with our decision. According to Jesus, it does not. It begins with His decision.
The emphasis is not on our initiative, but on His initiative. Not on our preference, but on His purpose. Not on our effort, but on His appointment. And that appointment has a clear objective: that we should go and bear fruit, and that this fruit should remain.
Everything in the Christian life—our identity, our calling, our authority, and our effectiveness in spiritual warfare—flows out of this foundational fact:
We are chosen and appointed by Jesus Himself to be fruitful.
Let us look at what the Word of God says, line by line.
> “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…” (John 15:16, NKJV)
This one sentence contains:
1. A correction: “You did not choose Me…”
2. A declaration: “…but I chose you…”
3. A commission: “…and appointed you…”
4. A mission: “…that you should go…”
5. A result: “…and bear fruit…”
6. A quality of that result: “…and that your fruit should remain…”
John 13–17 records the final hours Jesus spent with His disciples before the crucifixion. These chapters are sometimes called the “Upper Room Discourse.” They were spoken in a time of crisis, transition, and spiritual warfare.
In John 15, Jesus presents Himself as the true vine, the Father as the vinedresser, and the disciples as the branches:
> “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” (John 15:1)
> “I am the vine, you are the branches.” (John 15:5)
The central issue is fruit-bearing. The Father is actively involved, pruning fruitful branches and removing unfruitful ones (John 15:2). This is not a matter of religious hobby; this is a matter of purpose and destiny.
Within that picture, John 15:16 is Jesus’ personal explanation of why they are branches in the first place. He is saying to them:
Remember also who these men were. They were not the religious elite. They were fishermen, a tax collector, ordinary men. From a human standpoint, there was nothing impressive about them. Yet Jesus tells such men:
> “I chose you, and appointed you…”
He is establishing their identity before He sends them into a hostile world. They will face persecution (John 15:18–20), hatred (John 15:18–19), and spiritual opposition. To stand in that battle, they must know this: they are chosen and appointed by the Lord of glory.
Two key words in this verse will deepen our understanding: “chose” and “appointed.”
### 3.1 “Chose” – ἐξελεξάμην (exelexamēn)
The verb “chose” is from the Greek *eklegomai* (ἐκλέγομαι), here in the form *exelexamēn* — “I chose (for Myself).”
This is not a casual choice. It is the deliberate, purposeful selection of one among many. It also carries the thought of choosing for one’s own purpose or benefit.
When Jesus says:
> “I chose you…”
He means:
This kind of choosing is used elsewhere:
> “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4)
It speaks of a deliberate, sovereign initiative from God’s side. The Christian life is not man reaching up to God, but God reaching down to man—and claiming him.
### 3.2 “Appointed” – ἔθηκα (ethēka)
The word translated “appointed” is *tithēmi* (τίθημι), here in the form *ethēka* — “I placed,” “I set,” “I appointed.”
*Τίθημι* literally means:
Jesus is not saying, “I merely invited you.” He is saying, “I set you, I placed you, I assigned you.” It has the sense of an official appointment or commissioning.
Other uses of *tithēmi* show this:
> “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me… This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given (*dedōken*—from *didōmi*, related idea of bestowing/placing in one’s care) Me I should lose nothing…” (John 6:38–39)
> “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives (*tithēsin*, lays down) His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
In John 15:16, therefore, *ethēka* means that Jesus has:
So we can read the verse this way:
> “You did not choose Me, but I chose you for Myself, and I placed you, I officially appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”
This takes Christianity out of the realm of “religious preference” and places it in the realm of divine appointment and mandate.
We will now move through the lyrics, which mirror the verse.
### 4.1 “You did not choose me…”
Jesus begins by dismantling human pride and religious self-importance. Modern Christianity often says, “When I decided to follow Jesus…” Scripture reverses it. Jesus says:
> “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” (John 6:44)
Again:
> “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.” (John 6:63)
In Romans 3:11, Paul states:
> “There is none who seeks after God.”
Left to our own fallen nature, we do not seek God. We hide from Him. We avoid Him. Just as Adam and Eve hid among the trees (Genesis 3:8), so humanity hides behind religion, philosophy, or sin.
When Jesus says, “You did not choose Me,” He is:
This is deeply humbling, but also deeply securing. Your salvation does not rest on the strength of your choice, but on the strength of His.
### 4.2 “But I chose you…”
This is the positive side. It is not merely that we did not choose Him; it is that He chose us.
Consider what Peter says of believers:
> “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people…” (1 Peter 2:9)
Notice the order:
1. Chosen.
2. Royal (kingship).
3. Priestly (ministry toward God).
4. Holy (set apart).
Election is not arbitrary favoritism. It is purposeful. God chooses in order to make us something and use us for something.
Paul writes:
> “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
> But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise…” (1 Corinthians 1:26–27)
Why does God choose the foolish, the weak, the base?
> “…that no flesh should glory in His presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:29)
The choice of God is designed to eliminate pride and magnify grace.
Spiritually, this has direct implications for warfare. Satan’s primary weapons are accusation and condemnation (Revelation 12:10). He will say: “You are not worthy. You do not belong. You are nothing.” Our answer is not: “I am very spiritual.” Our answer is: “I am chosen by Jesus.”
### 4.3 “And appointed you…”
Chosen speaks of ownership and relationship. Appointed speaks of function and responsibility.
Jesus is not merely collecting Christians. He is commissioning workers. He is placing soldiers. He is appointing ambassadors.
Paul uses similar language:
> “I was appointed (*ethēn*) a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” (2 Timothy 1:11)
Again:
> “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us…” (2 Corinthians 5:20)
An ambassador does not choose his own posting. He is appointed by a higher authority, sent to represent that authority in a foreign land. That is precisely what Jesus says: “I appointed you.”
This demolishes passive Christianity. There is no place for a believer who is merely a spectator. If you are in Christ, you are:
### 4.4 “That you should go…”
The Christian life is not static. It is dynamic. It involves movement, obedience, and mission.
The same verb “go” is used in the Great Commission:
> “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matthew 28:19)
Being chosen and appointed is not a private, inward matter only. It has outward implications. We are sent:
“Go” means:
If we remain where we are when He says “go,” we frustrate His appointment.
### 4.5 “And bear fruit…”
Here we reach the heart of the matter: fruit. The picture is of a branch in a vine (John 15:1–8). A branch has one primary purpose: to bear fruit.
There are various kinds of fruit in the New Testament:
1. The fruit of character – the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23): love, joy, peace, etc.
2. The fruit of lips – praise and thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15).
3. The fruit of good works – practical obedience (Colossians 1:10).
4. The fruit of souls – people coming to Christ through our witness (Romans 1:13–16; John 4:36).
Jesus does not specify which fruit here, because the principle covers all fruit that proceeds from abiding in Him.
Notice the context:
> “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine,
> neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4)
We are not appointed to perform in our own strength. We are appointed to abide and thus to bear fruit. The branch does not strain to produce grapes. It simply stays connected, and fruit comes.
That is why He says:
> “Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Nothing of eternal value, nothing that counts as spiritual fruit, can be produced independently of Christ.
### 4.6 “And that your fruit should remain.”
Here we see the quality of the fruit: permanence. Not temporary, not superficial, not emotional flashes, but fruit that remains—enduring, stable, eternal.
Paul speaks of a coming fire test:
> “Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire;
> and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” (1 Corinthians 3:13)
Works done in the flesh, from wrong motives, or merely for show will be burned up. Only what is produced by the Spirit, in obedience to the Word, will remain.
Fruit that remains is:
Souls genuinely born again remain. Character truly transformed remains. Praise that rises from a heart renewed by grace remains. Works done in love, directed by God, remain.
The opposite of remaining fruit is temporary excitement with no lasting change. Jesus described this in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:20–21): those who receive the word with joy but have no root. They endure only for a while. There is no remaining fruit.
Jesus’ purpose is not that we have religious experiences but that we produce enduring results.
### 4.7 “…that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”
Though not quoted in the lyrics, this is the second half of John 15:16, and it is inseparable from fruit-bearing:
> “…that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”
Fruitfulness and answered prayer go together. Why?
Because a person who abides in Christ, walks in his God-given appointment, and seeks fruit for God’s glory will ask in line with God’s will. Such a person’s prayer life becomes powerful.
Earlier, Jesus said:
> “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7)
Abiding leads to alignment. Alignment leads to effective prayer. Effective prayer leads to fruit that remains.
This is spiritual warfare at a high level. Fruit-bearing believers, praying in the will of God, dismantle satanic strongholds and advance the Kingdom of God.
We must respond to this truth. It is not enough to admire it. How then do we walk as those chosen and appointed to bear lasting fruit?
### Step 1: Accept God’s Choice and Reject Condemnation
Many believers live under a cloud of inferiority, rejection, or condemnation. They measure themselves by their past, their failures, or by the opinions of others. Jesus says, “I chose you.”
You must choose to agree with His choice.
Instead, receive His Word:
> “He has made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6)
Proclamation for this step:
“I am chosen by Jesus. My worth and my calling rest on His choice, not my merit.”
### Step 2: Embrace Your Appointment and Reject Passivity
You are not a spiritual spectator. You are appointed. That means:
Ask the Lord:
This may include:
Passive Christianity is disobedient Christianity. Appointment implies activity.
### Step 3: Prioritize Abiding Over Striving
The secret to fruitfulness is not more activity, but deeper abiding.
Jesus says:
> “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit…” (John 15:5)
Abiding is:
Practically, this means:
When we abide, fruit comes naturally—because the life of the vine flows freely through the branch.
### Step 4: Aim for Fruit That Remains
We must evaluate our activities by this question: “Will this fruit remain?” This will purify our motives and priorities.
Ask:
Fruit that remains focuses on:
This may mean cutting off activities that look impressive but yield no lasting spiritual results. Remember John 15:2: the Father prunes fruitful branches that they may bear more fruit. Pruning can feel like loss, but it is actually divine strategy for greater fruitfulness.
### Proclamation
Speak this out loud, thoughtfully, as an act of agreement with the Word of God:
“I declare according to John 15:16:
I did not choose Jesus;
He chose me.
He chose me for Himself,
and He appointed me,
set me in my place,
and commissioned me
that I should go
and bear fruit,
and that my fruit should remain.
I am not an accident.
I am not rejected.
I am chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ.
I renounce passivity,
I renounce unbelief,
I renounce condemnation.
I accept my appointment in the Kingdom of God.
I choose to abide in Christ,
to live in His Word,
and to walk in His Spirit.
By His grace,
my life will bear lasting fruit—
in my character,
in my words,
in my works,
and in the lives of others.
And as I abide in Him
and His words abide in me,
I will ask the Father in the name of Jesus,
and He will give what I ask,
for His glory and for fruit that remains.
This is my portion,
because Jesus has chosen and appointed me.
Amen.”
### Prayer
“Lord Jesus Christ,
I thank You that You have spoken clearly:
I did not choose You,
but You chose me and appointed me
to go and bear fruit,
and that my fruit should remain.
I bring myself to You now.
I lay down every false identity,
every label of rejection, failure, or inferiority.
I choose to believe Your Word above my feelings,
above my past,
and above every accusation of Satan.
Holy Spirit,
reveal to me the areas where You have appointed me—
my family, my work, my church, my ministry.
Show me where I have been passive,
where I have resisted Your pruning,
where I have sought activity instead of abiding.
I ask You to work in me deeply:
root out what is of the flesh,
establish what is of the Spirit,
and produce in me fruit that remains.
Father, in the name of Jesus,
I ask that my life will count for eternity.
Let there be souls in Your Kingdom
because You used me.
Let there be transformed lives,
established disciples,
and a testimony that glorifies Your name.
I submit to Your choice.
I embrace Your appointment.
I commit myself to abide in Your Son.
And I thank You that You will be faithful
to complete the good work You have begun in me.
In the mighty name of Jesus,
Amen.”
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