GOD’S WORD FOR JUNE 9

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES:

JESUS, YOU…..GIVE  ME GRACE AND GLORY —Ps 84:11

JESUS, YOU……..WITHHOLD NO GOOD THING FROM ME—Ps 84:11

JESUS, YOU………ARE A ROCK WHO ENCIRCLES ME WITH STRENGTH –Ps 18:31-32

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THE WORD FOR TODAY

John 15:5 & 8

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  …… By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

Today we begin a new chapter in the book Abide in Christ written in the 1800’s by Andrew Murray.  The chapter is entitled “That You May Bear Much Fruit.”

We all know what fruit is: the produce of the branch, by which men are refreshed and nourished.  The fruit is not for the branch, but for those who come to carry it away.  As soon as the fruit is ripe, the branch lets it go to commence afresh its work of charity and prepare its fruit for another season.

A fruit-bearing tree lives not for itself, but for those to whom its fruit brings refreshment and life.  So the branch exists only and entirely for the sake of the fruit.  To make glad the heart of the husbandman is its object, its safety, and its glory.

This is a beautiful image of the believer abiding in Christ!  He not only grows in strength, the union with the Vine becoming ever surer and firmer, he also bears fruit, yes, much fruit.  He has the power to offer to others that of which they can eat and live.  Amid all who surround him, he becomes like a tree of life of which they can taste and be refreshed.  He is in his circle a center of life and of blessing, and that simply because he abides in Christ and receives from Him the Spirit and the life of which he can impart to others.  Learn thus, if you would bless others, to abide in Christ, and that if you do abide, you will surely bless.  As surely as the branch abiding in a fruitful vine bears fruit, so surely, yes, much more surely, will a soul abiding in Christ with His fullness of blessing be made a blessing.

The reason for this is easily understood. If Christ, the Heavenly Vine, has taken the believer as a branch, then He has pledged Himself, in the very nature of things, to supply the sap and spirit and nourishment to make it bring forth fruit.  Hosea 14:8 says:

“From Me is your fruit found.”

These words derive new meaning from our parable.  The soul need but have but one care: to abide closely, fully, wholly.  He will give the fruit.  He works all that is needed to make the believer a blessing.

Abiding in Him, you receive His Spirit of love and compassion toward sinners, making you desirous to seek their good.  By nature the heart is full of selfishness.  Even in the believer, his own salvation and happiness are often too much his only object.

But abiding in Jesus, you come into contact with His infinite love;  its fire begins to burn within your heart; you see the beauty of love; you learn to look upon loving and serving and saving your fellowmen as the highest privilege a disciple of Jesus can have. 

Abiding in Christ, your heart learns to feel the wretchedness of the sinner still in darkness and the fearfulness of the dishonor done to your God.  With Christ you begin to bear the burden of souls, the burden of sins not your own.  As you are more closely united to Him, something of that passion for souls that urged Him to Calvary begins to breath within you, and you are ready to follow His footsteps, forsake the heaven of your own happiness, and devote your life to win the souls Christ has taught you to love.  The very spirit of the  Vine is love; the spirit of love streams into the branch that abides in Him.

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