(continued from last week)
The ‘secret of life’ involves taking eyes off ‘self’ and focusing above. Jesus said: “Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.” (John 14:19-20)
In Algebra we teach the transitive property of equality: ‘If a = b and b = c, then a = c.’ The same logic helps us understand: ‘If Jesus is in the Father and we are in Jesus, then we are in the Father.’ Paul states it plainly: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)
I am asking the Holy Spirit to remind me of this every day… when I wake up and when I go to bed: “I am in Christ.” Jesus teaches us with an interesting metaphor: “I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit…” (John 15: 5)
A branch is connected to the vine… a branch is a part of the vine… the health and life of the branch depend on the vine… fruit comes from the branch connected to the healthy vine. Likewise: I am connected to Christ… I am a part of Christ… my health and life depend on Christ… good fruit will come because I am connected to the perfect Christ.
“You are in Me…” “Remain in Me…” “Live in Me…” How often does a branch need to be reminded to abide in the vine? If the branch does not remain attached to the vine, it cannot live. The Holy Spirit wants our understanding to be just as clear. Separate from the Vine, we cannot live. And we are living with other branches in the Vine… dependent on our Source and bringing forth fruit for the Gardener, who is God.
And what fruit is most pleasing to the Father? “The greatest of these is love…” As we live in Christ, we will learn to love like Him. His love flows through those connected to Him, blessing the world and revealing the Father. “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given us.” (Romans 5:5)
Over a hundred years ago, Andrew Murray, a South African pastor of Scottish descent, explained the result of living in Christ: “The believer cannot abide in Jesus the Glorified One, without feeling himself stirred and strengthened to work: the Spirit and the love of Jesus breathe the will and power to be a blessing to others. Jesus went to heaven with the very object of obtaining power there to bless abundantly. He does this as the heavenly Vine only through the medium of His people as His branches. Whoever, therefore, abides in Him, the Glorified One, bears much fruit, for he receives of the Spirit and the power of the eternal life of his exalted Lord, and becomes the channel through which the fullness of Jesus, who hath been exalted to be a Prince and a Savior, flows out to bless those around him.”
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2: 6-7
Quote from ‘Abide in Christ’ by Andrew Murray, ©1985 Barbour and Company, p 173
(continued next week)