“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.”

John 15:5 NKJV

The invitation of Jesus is for us to abide in Him! The Greek word translated “abide” is the word “meno”. It means to stay, to remain, to continue, or to permanently abide in one place.” (Sparkling gems from the Greek page 578). Jesus is the author and the giver of life, both natural and eternal (John 3:16, Col. 1:16). There is no life apart from Him! And when we receive His gift of salvation we are joined with Christ and become recipients of eternal life (John 10: 27-28).

Our adversary wants us to believe that somehow we must “do more” in order for that life to be maintained. The evil one wants us to think that we must read the Bible more, attend church more, give more, and serve more so that our life in Christ can be meaningful and fruitful. Now all of those things are good and are important for our growth in Christ. Those spiritual disciplines teach us, strengthen us, encourage us, and help us to learn and understand more of the reality and power of Christ. But they are not an end in themselves. Our life in Christ rests on the finished work of Christ Himself. It is only when we understand our “settled and fixed” union with Christ that these other disciplines become meaningful to us. The fruit is produced by His life flowing into us, through us, and out of us. The fruit is not produced by our own effort. The fruit is produced by simply “being” in Christ.

To abide in Him means that we are no longer striving. We are no longer struggling. We are resting. We are content with simply “being” in Christ. And it is through this understanding of “abiding” that we discover the joy and the richness of His life flowing in us and through us! It comes by simply being “joined” with Him! We never hear or see an apple tree struggling to produce apples. The branches of the apple tree produce apples because they are connected and joined to the life of the tree. The “fruit of the Spirit” or the life of Christ is produced simply by being joined to Christ, resting in Him, and living in Him. (Gal. 5:22-25). And that is truly amazing, powerful, and liberating!

Rev. James W. Black

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Rom. 1: 16 KJV

Paul had been one of the most religious men of his day!  He was a rising star among the religious elite, the Pharisees.  His religious credentials were impeccable (Phil. 3: 4-10).  He was a brilliant student of  the Word of God. He had a great zeal for God.  He was sincere in what he believed. But he did not truly know God!  He only had religion, not a relationship with God.  In his religious zeal he persecuted the Christians for their faith in Jesus Christ, who they claimed had been raised from the dead.  Paul did not believe it!  He considered them to be a threat to the God of Israel. He was the enemy of Christ! 

But Jesus, in His sovereign grace, powerfully revealed himself to Paul as he was traveling to Damascus to persecute the Christians who were there (Acts 9).  In his encounter with the risen Christ, Paul was radically transformed from the enemy of Christ to one of the greatest defenders of Christ!   Paul would never be the same again (2 Cor. 5:17).  And although it meant rejection by his family and the Jewish people he dearly loved, he was more than willing to pay the price!  He was not ashamed to be identified with Christ!  Paul knew that Jesus was alive!  Jesus had revealed Himself unto him, forgiven him, anointed him, and called him to be His vessel in the proclamation of the Gospel to his generation. 

As God’s people we are not to be rude, offensive or obnoxious in our culture. But neither are we to be ashamed to be identified with Christ!  We make no apologies for being followers of Jesus.  We will often be rejected, ridiculed, mocked and maligned by family and friends.  We will be misunderstood.  We will be falsely accused of things we did not say and do not believe.  We will have lies told about us.  But the fact that these things happen should encourage us.  For Jesus said that these things would happen (Matthew 5: 11-12). 

Even though the darkness is increasing in our culture, it is our calling to speak up and live out the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If we do, some will see and be drawn to Him.  And that is the greatest reason not to be ashamed.  After all, why would we ever be ashamed of embracing and living for the very One who paid for our redemption , forgave us and delivered us from the penalty of sin, death and hell?  Why would we ever be ashamed of that?   No one else has ever done for us what Jesus has done for us!  And no one ever will! 

Rev. James W. Black