Abiding in Christ (John 15:1-5)
Our home is built on a piece of land that was left untouched for generations. When we purchased it, it was a tangle of pine trees, hardwoods, and lots of vines. There were vines everywhere, and most of them were undesirable. To pull them all out of the trees would have been impossible without damaging the trees themselves, and spraying them with herbicide would have cost a fortune. Instead, I have employed a simple but effective solution. I cut the vines off at the ground and over time, the vine branches in the tops of the trees will wither and fall to the ground. This is remarkably effective because the vine branches are incapable of sustaining themselves. The branches cannot live without their vital connection to the vine.
As simple as this may sound, it has profound implications in the spiritual world. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “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.” Just as a branch cannot exist without the vine, we are completely dependent on Christ for everything. For that reason, it is of vital importance that we stay connected with Christ by “abiding” in Him. He’s not just our main source of spiritual life. He is our only source. If we distance ourselves from Him, we will become dry, fragile, and fruitless. Our life will be a drudgery, not a delight. But if we abide in Him, we will enjoy the blessings of His life flowing through us, resulting in a fruitfulness that brings joy to us and glory to Him.
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- Jan 7, 2024Abiding in Christ (John 15:1-5)
Abiding in Christ (John 15:1-5)Our home is built on a piece of land that was left untouched for generations. When we purchased it, it was a tangle of pine trees, hardwoods, and lots of vines. There were vines everywhere, and most of them were undesirable. To pull them all out of the trees would have been impossible without damaging the trees themselves, and spraying them with herbicide would have cost a fortune. Instead, I have employed a simple but effective solution. I cut the vines off at the ground and over time, the vine branches in the tops of the trees will wither and fall to the ground. This is remarkably effective because the vine branches are incapable of sustaining themselves. The branches cannot live without their vital connection to the vine.As simple as this may sound, it has profound implications in the spiritual world. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “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.” Just as a branch cannot exist without the vine, we are completely dependent on Christ for everything. For that reason, it is of vital importance that we stay connected with Christ by “abiding” in Him. He’s not just our main source of spiritual life. He is our only source. If we distance ourselves from Him, we will become dry, fragile, and fruitless. Our life will be a drudgery, not a delight. But if we abide in Him, we will enjoy the blessings of His life flowing through us, resulting in a fruitfulness that brings joy to us and glory to Him.
- Dec 31, 2023The Doctrine Of The Atonement (I Peter 1:19)
The Doctrine Of The Atonement (I Peter 1:19)There are so many aspects of the Christmas story that serve to illustrate Christ's purpose in coming to earth. For instance, Jesus is the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God. It is fitting then that he was born in a stable and laid in a manger and that the shepherds were the first to receive the news of his birth.But the imagery of a lamb goes much deeper than just illustrating the humility of Christ's birth. It goes back to the garden when God first sacrificed an animal to make a covering to replace man's self-righteous attempt to hide his guilt and shame with fig leaves. It continues through the Passover story when the Jews sacrificed a spotless lamb and painted their doorposts with its blood so the death angel would pass over their homes, and they would be saved. It culminates with Jesus shedding His blood on the cross to atone for our sins.The basic meaning of the word translated "atonement" is a covering. It describes how our sins are pardoned by God, "hidden" in a sense. Our English word conveys the idea of how we have been restored to a right relationship with God. "At-one-ment" is the literal meaning of the word. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice and made atonement for our sins once and for all on the cross of Calvary. It is through Him that we enter into a relationship with God, and it is through Him that that relationship remains right. Our sins are covered, and we are redeemed by "the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" (1 Peter 1:19)
- Dec 20, 2023Beware and Be Growing (2 Peter 3:14-18)
Beware and Be Growing (2 Peter 3:14-18)God uses all kinds of people. He uses the refined and educated, but He also uses the rough and ignorant. Simon Peter was the kind of person that most people would place in the latter category. He was the kind of guy that always had something to say, even when he should have kept his mouth shut. He probably would not have been the first man that you or I would have voted for if a pulpit committee had presented him as a candidate to pastor a church, but that didn’t matter to Jesus. Jesus called Peter to follow Him, changed Peter from a fisherman to a fisher of men, and later charged Peter with shepherding His sheep.
The change that came over Peter’s life through his time with Jesus is best summarized in Acts 4:13. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” Peter may not have been very polished to begin with, but through the grace of God Peter changed. As he learned more about Jesus, he grew in grace and in knowledge. The life of Peter is a case study in the power of Jesus to transform an individual. We can admire Peter for his loyalty and his boldness, but we must give Jesus the glory because it was only through His teaching, training and empowering that Peter became the man he was.
As Peter concluded his last letter to the believers, he knew that his time on earth was coming to an end. He had reminded them of the promise of Christ’s return. He had warned them that scoffers would continue to mock them for believing that promise. He had encouraged them to live right anyway. He wanted to impress on the believers that he loved so much the importance of living holy lives and continually growing for the glory of God while we wait for our blessed hope. Life is too short to waste our time with frivolous pursuits and false doctrines. We must be growing for the glory of God. - Dec 17, 2023The Doctrine Of The Virgin Birth (Genesis 3:15)
The Doctrine Of The Virgin Birth (Genesis 3:15)
- Dec 10, 2023Zachariah’s Song (Luke 1:67-79)
Zachariah’s Song (Luke 1:67-79)
- Dec 3, 2023Challenges to Sanctification (2 Timothy 2:19-21)
Challenges to Sanctification (2 Timothy 2:19-21)
- Nov 29, 2023The Failure of False Prophets (2 Peter 2:17-22)
The Failure of False Prophets (2 Peter 2:17-22)
- Nov 26, 2023For Ezra had prepared his heart (Ezra 7:10)
For Ezra had prepared his heart (Ezra 7:10)
- Nov 26, 2023The Concept of Sanctification (Leviticus 20:7)
The Concept of Sanctification (Leviticus 20:7)The Christian life is a journey of sanctification. So, what exactly is sanctification? Sanctification is the work of God in us, whereby we are separated from sin and consecrated to His service. At the moment of salvation, we are sanctified in Christ so that our position before God is one of complete holiness. When we die, we will be perfectly sanctified, having been freed from the presence of sin and perfectly into the image of Christ, a concept known as glorification. Between salvation and glorification, we cooperate in the process of sanctification by consecrating ourselves to God, changing through growth in Christ-likeness, and confessing our sins regularly. From the moment we are saved until the day that we die, we should be becoming progressively more like Jesus in our thoughts, words, and actions. We put off sin from our lives, and we put on Christ-like behavior. Our thinking continually changes, improving to be more and more consistently in line with God’s way of thinking. As we go through life, we learn to devote more time and energy to God’s purposes and less to our selfish desires.
When God’s work of sanctification is unhindered, God’s peace and joy can fill our hearts. We can withstand the storms that will come without our spiritual house being flattened. Life will still be full of unexpected circumstances, but we are safe in the knowledge that they are all a part of God’s plan to make us more like Christ. If we want to experience the joy and satisfaction God designed the Christian life to bring, then we must live a life of sanctification. - Nov 19, 2023Exhort One Another (II Timothy 2:24-26)
Exhort One Another (II Timothy 2:24-26)
- Nov 19, 2023How God Speaks: The Certainty of Scripture (Psalms 119:160)
How God Speaks: The Certainty of Scripture (Psalms 119:160)“Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” (Psalms 119:160)The Bible would not be sufficient and it would not be supreme if it were not absolutely true. If there were any legitimate doubt as to its accuracy and reliability, then we could never be sure that what we read in the pages of the Bible was all that we need.So, it is extremely important that we know and believe that the Bible is absolutely true. The Bible does not only contain truth, but everything it says is the truth. From the big ideas about God down to the smallest detail of historical events, the Bible is without error, and is incapable of error.The implications of this truth are huge. Since everything the Bible says is true, there is no other book in the world that we should devote more of our time and energy to. We should read it, study it, memorize it and meditate on it so that we might live according to its teachings. The Bible must be our guide, and not the words, thoughts or feelings of man. We must seek to know God better and draw closer to Him through the pages of scripture and not through mystical, irrational experience centered or emotionally driven means.God is speaking to us through the scripture, but are we really listening to what He is saying?
- Nov 15, 2023The Follies of False Prophets (2 Peter 2:10-16)
The Follies of False Prophets (2 Peter 2:10-16)False doctrine is a major hindrance to Christian growth. That is why Peter took time to warn the believers against the false teachers they would inevitably encounter. We cannot assume that we would know a false teacher when we see them. They are very crafty and can often seem like the kind of people that we would like to follow. But their end is destruction, because they have denied the Lord and corrupted the gospel.
Peter pointed to many Old Testament stories to prove his statement that the destruction of the ungodly was sure and swift. The angels who were cast our of heaven, the global flood in Noah’s day and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha all prove that God knows how to punish the wicked and save the righteous. In 2 Peter 2:10-16, we are given a more complete picture of what a false prophet looks like so that we might be able to identify them and be warned against allowing them to influence us. While they might maintain an appearance of godliness, inwardly they are consumed with pride, lust, and greed. We must develop godly discernment and not allow false teachers to influence us with their deeds or their doctrines. - Nov 12, 2023Love One Another (John 13:31-35)
Love One Another (John 13:31-35)
- Nov 12, 2023How God Speaks: The Supremacy of Scripture (Psalm 138:2)
How God Speaks: The Supremacy of Scripture (Psalm 138:2)“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” (Psalms 138:2)God has spoken to man in several ways. God has spoken through the magnificence of creation, revealing His existence and His power to all humanity. God has put His law in the hearts of man and declares to our consciences a knowledge of what He declares to be right and wrong.But neither conscience nor creation is the greatest revelation of God to man. To fully reveal all that man needed to know, God gave man the scriptures. The Word of God is the greatest communication of God to man.God’s word is better than creation and conscience, and it is infinitely better than the words of man. The words of men are inconsistent, unreliable, and uncertain. God’s word is perfect. It never changes, it is always true, and it always accomplishes its purpose.Since God’s word is the greatest, it should be most important to us. We should live according to what God says and not what we think or what anyone else says.
- Nov 5, 2023How God Speaks: The Sufficiency of Scripture (II Timothy 3:16-17)
How God Speaks: The Sufficiency of Scripture (II Timothy 3:16-17)“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” At the beginning of creation, God spoke, and God has continued speaking ever since. The Bible is a record of God’s communications to mankind and mankind’s responses to God’s speaking. God speaks, even if man does not always listen.How God speaks to man today is a subject that is worth our consideration. How we live daily will be determined by our beliefs regarding how God speaks. Some believe that God still gives special revelation to individuals, just as He did to the prophets of old. Some believe God speaks to them personally, revealing plans and giving specific directions. Others believe that God is done speaking, and we must do our best with what we already know. Which view is correct?The truth is found in a proper understanding of what God has already said. God has spoken, and His words for us were inspired and have been preserved for us today. It is true that God is still speaking today, but He is speaking to us through the pages of scripture. God does not use dreams and prophetic revelations as He did in the past because His written word has been completed, and it contains all the information that we need. Scripture is sufficient. We do not need further revelation from God. We need to immerse ourselves in the Word God has given so that we might walk in the light that it casts on our path.
