Abiding In Christ

Abiding in Christ

John 15:4-7

Life can be chaotic

This notice appeared in the window of a coat store in Nottingham, England:

"We have been established for over 100 years and have been pleasing and displeasing customers ever since. We have made money and lost money, suffered the effects of coal nationalization, coat rationing, government control and bad payers. We have been cussed and discussed, messed about, lied to, held up, robbed and swindled. The only reason we stay in business is to see what happens next."

John 15:4-7

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.

5 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.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Prayer

Jesus reveals to us, we the vine produce fruit because, we are grafted in the root system

Which gives us life. We flourish spiritually when grafted into the fullness of God.

[Abide in me] Remain united to me by a living faith. Live a life of dependence on me, and obey my doctrines, imitate my example, and constantly exercise faith in me.

[And I in you] That is, if you remain attached to me, I will remain with you, and will teach, guide, and comfort you.

Abide for Victory

Corrie Ten Boom

Connected with Him in His love, I am more than conqueror; without Him, I am nothing. Like some railway tickets in America, I am “Not good if detached.”

Corrie Ten Boom

If Jesus were born one thousand times in Bethlehem and not in me, then I would still be lost.

Spiritual presence abides

After the Crusades, Western Europe received a number of supposed holy relics, including a tooth of Goliath, a tip of the devil’s tail, and a bottle that held the breath of Christ. Of course, no one today takes such relics seriously. If we did have the breath of Christ in a bottle, what would it mean? Nothing. It is the spiritual presence of Christ in the life of a believer that counts.

To Abide means we gain by what we put into living for God.

It was many centuries ago in a remote village in India. Word began to spread that something was about to happen that no one had seen in there lifetime the prince was coming to visit their forgotten little village.

Everyone was excited but no one was more excited than the village beggar. Every day he eked out another day by sitting by the road with his little cup, hoping to get enough money to buy the rice to live one more day. He actually had two cups one for collecting money and one for his few grains of rice. But now the prince was coming the wealthy prince! When the prince finally arrived, the beggar mustered his most impassioned appeal - Alms! Alms for the poor! And the prince stopped. The beggar’s heart was pounding furiously.

Give me your cup of rice. That was all the prince said. The beggar slumped down in disbelief. Here was the wealthiest man in the land, asking for his lousy little cup of rice. The beggar was about to refuse, but instead he reached in and he put three grains of rice in the prince’s hand. The prince turned to his servant and said, Bring me the bag of gold. The beggar could hardly contain himself as he eagerly stretched out his empty collection cup. The prince reached into his bag and placed three grains of gold in the beggar’s cup. And then he disappeared, never to return but leaving the beggar to wonder for the rest of his life . . . what would have happened if I had given him my whole cup of rice?

Jesus, the Prince of Heaven, may be passing your way today with so much to give you. The forgiveness of every sin you’ve ever committed . . . a new beginning . . . the peace that has eluded you your whole lifetime . . . eternity with Him in heaven. He wants to make you spiritually rich. In fact, it was very expensive for Him to be able to offer you the heaven you don’t deserve instead of the death penalty your sin does deserve. In our word for today from the Word of God, God describes the unspeakable sacrifice Jesus made to rescue you.