Christian Living
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Read these words of Jesus from the book of John:
"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 NLT)
Lately, I've given the Lord reason for Him to bring these words to my mind and to read John 15. In the Christian community we talk about things like "spiritual growth" or "maturity" and the Bible seems to be filled with "DOs and DON'Ts" regarding how we are to live our new lives.
In Philippians we read, "In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing..." (Phil 2:14) . "You are to live clean, innocent lives..." (2:15) "Let your lives shine brightly before them..." Jesus himself tells us in the "vine/branches" passage, as well as elsewhere, "I command you to love one another." (John 15:17)
Sounds like we've got a big job to do, huh? And these are just a very few examples among many. Are you up to it?
Neither am I.
And neither was Paul (Just look at his letter to the Roman Christians, chapter 7).
Speaking for myself, the job is not only big--it's impossible! And yet, somehow, despite years of being a Christian; despite my personal witness of the fact that anything "good" I do is clearly of Him and not me; I often find that I am operating based upon a misguided concept that there is a "Mini Me" that God has built in me through my years of walking with Him.
I often think:
1. I've accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord of my life,
2. I've received the Holy Spirit of God in my heart,
3. I've got the "operating manual", the Bible, and read it regularly,
4. I walk and talk with Him daily, and so,
5. I'm now equipped to carry out this thing-----with God's help, of course!
WRONG! Oh, 1 through 4 are true, but 5 is definitely not.
How often do I have to be reminded that there is only one person who can live the Christian Life: Christ!
Before the sentences he wrote to the Christians at Philippi (and us) about not complaining, living clean lives, and letting our lives shine brightly, Paul writes very plainly about the only way we are able to do that:
"For GOD IS WORKING in you, GIVING YOU THE DESIRE to obey him and the POWER to do what pleases him." (Phil 2:13) (emphasis mine)
God inspired these words in Paul because He knows we can't do this for ourselves. That's why we have been told in the previous verse that it is God "working in you" "giving you...the power". I'm not living this life with God's "help". It's HIS power and it's HIM working! My task is to SURRENDER and get myself out of His way.
It is not I who is living the life of Christ, but it is Christ who is living the life in me!
John 15:4 ends with the words, "...and you cannot be fruitful apart from me." What happens when we try?
My wife, Christine, trimmed some branches in our back yard recently. After she went out later the same day to pick up the trimmings, she remarked that the branches already looked dead. They were wilted and withered--obviously not alive. The parallel with Scripture was not lost on her, and was definitely in the right timing for me.
We've all had instances of the same thing. The branches that were once vital, putting out new growth, die quickly when pruned from the tree or bush. Such is my life in Christ. He prunes every branch that does not produce fruit and He gives life to every branch that does.
As it says in Philippians, "And I am sure that GOD, WHO BEGAN the good work within you, WILL CONTINUE his work until it is finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again." (Phil 1:6) (emphasis mine)
So, "Repeat after me," Jesus says to me. "You are the branch. I am the vine. And My Father will continue to prune you until I return." Our part of the process as branches is to say, "Yes, Lord. Prune me and shape me. Remove every branch from my life that does not produce fruit, and invigorate every branch which does."
As we read in the book of Romans:
"And we know that GOD CAUSES everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and HE CHOSE them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, HE CALLED them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and HE PROMISED them his glory." (Romans 8:28-30) (emphasis mine, again)
So the Lord will have to continue to cut and shape me and I cannot operate when disconnected from Him. And how does the pruning take place?
Just look at the Book of Romans:
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he HAS GIVEN us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Rom 5:3-5) (emphasis added)
For may part, I must not deny that, on occasion, I am prone to resentment, unforgiveness, self-pity, and every other petty emotion. Instead of repressing these feelings, however, I must lay them at the foot of the cross.
And even that is not possible for me without the correcting, convicting love and presence of my Lord, Jesus Christ. He gently, but firmly, reminds me that when I even begin to think that the "growth" of my branch has somehow enabled me to operate independently of the vine, my branch will produce fruit only as it brings glory to God.
Love,
Brother Bill
About the Author:
Brother Bill is the creator and webmaster of Everyday Christianity, which provides ministry and resources for Christian families. This article may be shared freely as long as it includes this resource box and a link back to the website at http://www.everydaychristianity.com.
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