JESUS DOES NOT WANT TO BE A PART OF YOUR LIFE! JESUS REQUIRES THAT HE IS TO BE LORD OF ALL AREAS OF OUR LIFE! EVERYTHING! NO DIVIDED LOYALTIES NOR WILL HE ALLOW ANY OTHER GODS BEFORE HIM. HE MUST BE THE CENTER OF FOCUS.
THIS IS THE GREAT TRAGEDY OF GENESIS 3:9, “BUT THE LORD GOD CALLED TO THE MAN, “WHERE ARE YOU?” WE KNOW, FROM VERSE 8, THAT GOD HAD APPEARED FOR THEIR EVENING WALK TOGETHER, BUT ADAM AND EVE WERE HIDING FROM GOD AMONGST THE TREES IN THE GARDEN. THEY CHOSE DISOBEDIENCE. THEY DESIRED A REPLACEMENT FOR GOD IN THEIR LIFE.
THE PERFECT RELATIONSHIP THAT ADAM AND EVE HAD WITH GOD WAS BROKEN. THE GOOD NEWS FOR US, IS THAT THE BLOOD THAT JESUS SHED AS THE SURPREME SACRIFICE FOR THIS BROKENNESS OF SIN AFFORDS US THE JOY OF RE-ESTABLISHING THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. IT IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP!
THE BIBLE IS FILLED WITH THE STORY OF REDEMPTION AND GOD’S PASSION AND DESIRE TO HAVE A LOVING, INTIMATE, AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH US. WE CANNOT SAY IT ENOUGH! JAMES 4:4, 7-8, “DON’T YOU KNOW THAT FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD MEANS ENMITY AGAINST GOD? THEREFORE, ANYONE WHO CHOOSES TO BE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD BECOMES AN ENEMY OF GOD…..SUBMIT YOURSELVES, THEN, TO GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. COME NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL COME NEAR TO YOU. WASH YOUR HANDS, YOU SINNERS, AND PURIFY YOUR HEARTS, YOU DOUBLE-MINDED.”
WHEN IT COMES TO CHRISTIANITY AND CLAIMING THAT WE ARE, INDEED, A CHRISTIAN, WE ARE PROCLAIMING AND EXPRESSING A LIVING WITNESS TO JESUS CHRIST! AS BELIEVERS, WE REALIZE THAT CHRISTIANITY IS NOT SIMPLY ABOUT BELIEVING AND SAYING THE RIGHT THINGS OR LIVING A CHRIST-LIKE LIFE.
YES, THOSE ARE CRUCIAL AND SOMETHING WE MUST TAKE SERIOUS, BUT WE HAVE DISCOVERED A NEW DIMENSION OF OUR FAITH WHICH IS NURTURING AND PROTECTING OUR LIFE-GIVING CONNECTION TO JESUS THROUGH A CLOSE, INTIMATE, PERSONAL AND LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. INTENTIONAL! PERSISTENT!
THE MORE WE GROW IN OUR FAITH, HOPEFULLY, WE ARE FALLING MORE AND MORE IN LOVE WITH GOD AS OUR FATHER; JESUS AS OUR SAVIOR AND WELCOMING THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US TO EMPOWER US AND INDWELL US. I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS IN WHAT JESUS WAS TEACHING HIS DISCIPLES.
JESUS WAS MORE INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING A LOVING, PERSONAL AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS. HE WAS MORE ABOUT PUTTING THE EMPHASIS ON “BEING” RATHER THAN JUST “DOING.” JESUS ALWAYS GAVE CLEAR GUIDANCE ON WHAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP HE WAS INTERESTED IN HAVING WITH US.
JESUS CLEARLY STATED THAT HE IS THE VINE WHICH MEANS HE IS LITERALLY OUR SOURCE OF LIFE. HE ALSO DREW THE IMAGERY THAT WE ARE THE BRANCHES, MEANING THAT AS BRANCHES, WE ARE THE VESSEL THAT GOD’S LIFE SOURCE FLOWS THROUGH TO PRODUCE AN ABUNDANCE OF FRUIT.
IF WE WILL REMAIN IN JESUS CHRIST AND ALLOW HIM TO NOURISH US WITH HIS LIFE-GIVING RELATIONSHIP, THE NATURAL, INEVITABLE RESULT WILL RESULT IN SEEING EVERY LEVEL AND FORM OF ABUNDANT FRUIT BEING PRODUCED FOR GOD’S GLORY.
IT IS A BLESSING TO KNOW WE ARE INVITED BY JESUS TO COME CLOSE TO HIM IN ORDER TO DEEPEN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND TO BE ABLE TO “SEE RESULTS” FROM OUR LABORS. JAMES 4:18, “COME NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL COME NEAR TO YOU.” I AM SURE YOU WANT TO BE FOUND PRODUCING THE FRUIT THAT CAN ONLY COME FROM ABIDING WITH THE SOURCE THAT ACTUALLY PRODUCES THE FRUIT.
JESUS IS TELLING US QUITE PLAINLY: IT IS NOT OUR ACTIVITY THAT PRODUCES THE FRUIT, IT IS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM THAT YEILDS THE HARVEST OF ABUNDANCE OF FRUIT.
IT ALL COMES OUT OF A TWO-WAY RELATIONSHIP: ABIDING IN CHRIST AND ALLOWING HIM TO ABIDE IN US AS IT WAS PLAINLY STATED IN VERSE 4, “ABIDE IN ME AS I ABIDE IN YOU.”
THIS IS THE WHOLE POINT OF THE “VINEYARD IMAGERY” THAT JESUS IS TRYING TO MAKE WHICH IS THE OBVIOUS DEPENDENCE THE BRANCHES HAVE ON THE VINE FOR THEIR CONTINUED LIFE.
THIS IS WHAT JESUS IS GETTING AT: ABIDE IN HIM AND YOUR LIFE CAN BE USED TO PRODUCE A GREAT HARVEST AT EVERY LEVEL AND EVERY ENDEAVOR NO MATTER HOW SMALL OR GREAT THE TASK GOD HAS GIVEN YOU FOR HIS GLORY.
THIS IS WHY THERE IS SUCH GREAT SORROW WHEN WE NEGLECT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS BECAUSE OUR LIVES WILL PRODUCE HARDLY ANYTHING AT ALL NOR REACH THE END RESULT GOD HAD INTENDED TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH US.
YES, WE MAY SEE SOME MEAGER RESULTS, BUT NOT THE ABUDANT HARVEST GOD HAD ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO PRODUCE THROUGH YOU. HE WAS NOT KIDDING IN VERSE FIVE, WHEN HE SAID, “APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.” ANYTHING DONE WITHOUT CHRIST WILL ALWAYS BE INADEQUATE AND FALL SHORT.
WORSE YET, THIS ALSO MEANS THAT THOSE WHO BREAK FROM THE VINE AND DETERMINE TO DO IT THEIR OWN WAY WHILE NEGLECTING TO “ABIDE” IN CHRIST, ARE LITERALLY “AS GOOD AS DEAD.” UNPRODUCTIVE FOLLOWERS THAT FAIL TO BEAR ANY FRUIT AT ALL. ZERO! NOTHING WHATSOEVER!
THIS IS A BLATANT AND WILLFUL CHOICE TO DO NOTHING. JAMES 4:17, “IF ANYONE, THEN, KNOWS THE GOOD THEY OUGHT TO DO AND DOESN’T DO IT, IT IS SIN FOR THEM.
JESUS SAID IN ORDER TO BEAR FRUIT, WE MUST “ABIDE” IN HIM. THE GREEK WORD FOR “ABIDE” MEANS “CONTINUE TO BE PRESENT,” “TO STAY AROUND,” OR “TO REMAIN AS ONE.”
THE WORD IS NOT ONLY IN THE CONTEXT OF A COMMAND, BUT AN ACTIVE WORD. IN OTHER WORDS, WE DON’T JUST SIT AROUND AND GO AIMLESSLY THROUGH LIFE. JESUS IS NOT JUST OFFERING SOME HELFUL SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO “PRODUCE FRUIT.”
NO, HE IS GIVING US A COMMAND TO NOT ONLY ABIDE IN HIM, AND HIM ALONE, BUT TO “GET UP” AND “GET GOING” BY LIVING AN ACTIVE AND RADICALLY OBEDIENT FAITH THAT BEARS FRUIT.
JESUS IS EMPHASIZING TO US THAT “ABIDING” IS TO BE AN “ONGOING ACTION” MEANING THAT “ABIDING” IN CHRIST CANNOT BE COMPLETELY FULFILLED IN JUST ONE SINGLE ACT NOR CAN IT BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH ACTIVITY, RITUALS OR ROUTINES. ABIDING IN CHRIST IS A WILFUL AND INTENTIONAL CHOICE TO REMAIN IN RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. WE MUST WANT IT!
THE LESSON IS CLEAR: ABIDING, FOR THE CHRISTIAN, MEANS THAT WE ARE “BRIDGING THE GAP” BY DRAWING CLOSE TO GOD TO DEEPEN OUR INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM THAT COMES FIRST BY ASKING JESUS INTO OUR LIVES AS LORD AND SAVIOR.
ABIDING WITH CHRIST MEANS WE ARE MAKING CONSTANT, CONSISTENT AND MOMENT-BY-MOMENT DECISIONS TO FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST INSTEAD OF GIVING IN TO THE LURES OF TEMPATION THAT IS TRYING TO DRAW US AWAY FROM GOD.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS: WE’RE MAKING PROGRESS, WE ARE SHOWING RESULTS, WE’RE MOVING AHEAD, STANDING FIRM, GROWING, AND MATURING IN OUR RELATIONSHIP AND OUR FAITH. WE MUST TAKE INVENTORY OF OUR LIFE TO ENSURE WE ARE GAINING CONFIDENCE BY TAKING RISKS AND BOLDLY STEPPING OUT IN FAITH AND OUTSIDE OUR COMFORT-ZONE TO BE LOVING WITNESSES FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL.
WHEN YOU ARE IN A PROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, IT IS INEVITABLE THAT YOU NATURALLY START BEARING FRUIT. YOUR LIFE AND MINISTRY ARE NO LONGER PASSIVE, BUT ACTIVE. YOU HAVE A VIBRANT SENSE OF JOY AND FRESHNESS AND EVERYTHING GODLY BECOMES A NATURAL BY-PRODUCT OF WHAT YOU DO.
MY PRAYER FOR YOU….IF YOU ARE DRIFTING, AWAKEN FROM THE FOG AND GET BACK ON TRACK. IF YOU HAVE GROWN COLD, REPENT AND COME HOME. IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING, STOP SUFFERING IN SILENCE TO GET HELP AND FIND HEALING AND RESTORATION. IF YOU ARE IN A STRONG, INTIMATE AND FRUITFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST, DON’T LET UP, BUT KEEP AGRESSIVELY INVESTING DEEPER IN YOUR TIME WITH GOD.
YOU WERE MADE AND INTENDED FOR FRUITFULNESS! MY HOPE IS THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE YOUR PURSUIT OF “ABIDING IN CHRIST” BY CONSISTENTLY PURSUING AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. MAY WE LIVE RADICALLY OBEDIENT SO THAT OUR PASSION WILL BE TO OBEY THE COMMAND OF JESUS TO STAY “CONNECTED” TO HIM BY INTENTIONALLY AND OBEDIENTLY MAKING HIM LORD OF EVERYTHING IN OUR LIFE.
JESUS REFERRED TO THIS RELATIONSHP WITH GOD AS “THE FIRST AND GREATEST COMMANDMENT: LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.” OUR LIVES MUST GIVE GLORY TO GOD. OUR LIVES MUST BEAR WITNESS TO HIS GOODNESS. WE MUST ABIDE AND BEAR FRUIT.
MAY WE ALL, THEREFORE, CHOOSE TO ALWAYS REMAIN DEEPLY ROOTED IN JESUS CHRIST. MAY WE REMAIN IN HIM BY KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENT OF LOVE, BY PONDERING HIS WORDS, LETTING THEM DWELL RICHLY IN US, AND BY ALWAYS SEEKING TO DO WHAT PLEASES HIM.
LET EVERYTHING WE DO BE GUIDED BY TRUST AND HUMILITY, REMEMBERING THAT APART FROM HIM WE CAN DO NOTHING. JESUS SO DESPERATELY CALLS YOU TO ABIDE WITH HIM. REMEMBER: JESUS DOESN’T WANT TO BE PART OF YOUR LIFE! HE WANTS TO BE ALL OF YOUR LIFE….THE CENTER AND FOCUS OF EVERYTHING!
JESUS SMILES UPON YOU AND CALLS YOU HIS FRIEND. JESUS, AS THE VINE, WANTS MORE THAN ANYTHING, FOR YOU TO BE HIS BRANCH FOREVER. STAY CONNECTED TO JESUS! ABIDE WITH HIM!
