Lenten Devotion (Morning) for 19 April 2011 Anno Domini

Lenten Devotion (Morning) for 19 April 2011 Anno Domini
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 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. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John 15:1-16)

The beauty of the metaphor and allegory of these verses surpasses our ability to fully grasp. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” The vine emerges from the soil into which it has sunk its roots for sustenance. Christ is both the source of the sustenance of the roots as well as the vine which transports that living sustenance to the branches of the vine. We are those branches and we must have a like nature to Him. The Father has been referred to earlier as the owner of the Vineyard who went into a far country. The Father must necessarily be far removed from us for we cannot behold His Glory and yet live. But He has sent His Son to us who has the same nature and substance of the Father that we may know BOTH. The overly grown branches which bear no fruit are pruned, not as punishment, but for the purpose of causing them to bear fruit.

“Abide in me, and I in you.” This statement is stronger than first thought. Christ does not make reference to a casual visit, but an abiding, or living, in each other. We live not unless we live IN Christ. And we serve not unless Christ is IN us working His Will. When a branch is severed from the vine, it at once ceases to live. It can produce no further fruit. When we make a separation from Christ in our lives, our good fruit immediately ceases and we can do no good thing. Our righteousness lies solely in our relationship to Christ – our Vine.

“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” The withered branches are like unto any of us who are separated from our life-source in Christ. We are merely dead branches and will be gathered at the last day by the Holy Angels and cast into the fire. “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” If we continue not in the love of Christ, we are most miserable creatures. Love cannot go without reciprocation. Do we love Christ? Then our lives must give evidence of that love. “10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” We keep His Commandments that have been written in our hearts through His love. We learned of this in the Morning Devotion. The commandments of God are not given to curb our joy, but to make that joy possible. “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” Can you imagine the fullness of joy we have with the joy of Christ in our hearts!

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” Strong Commandment, this! We must truly, not merely symbolically, love one another with the same love which Christ holds for us! This is His Commandment to us! We may not permit one of our number to suffer deprivation while we enjoy the means of alleviating that need. Do we do this?

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” True, indeed, and no man has greater love, or even equivalent love, as Christ who did lay down His life for His friends – for you and me! Note the term ‘friends’. He has called us His friends. If a mighty sovereign of this world called me a friend, I would consider it an high honor. But to have Christ call me friend, it is beyond my ability to comprehend in its impact. We hear often the modern TV evangelist claim that he is a ‘slave’ of God. Really? If so, then he is not a son, or a friend, of God. Christ calls us friends, and not servants. He has shared all things with us. A slave follows by force; a friend follows by a desire to share. “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends.”

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.” Are you surprised at these words of Christ? This is a mystery of whose depths we have little understanding. But we must know them to be true because Christ has spoken them. Our XVIIth Article of Religion is consistent (as it must be) with this statement of Christ. Ere we knew Christ, the efficacious working of the Holy Spirit drew us like a hook in the jaw to Christ. Our decision was based upon His first calling and choosing. How marvelous to know that we are not children at random chance, but by the explicit choice of Christ! “Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” When we ask in the Father in the name of the Son, we are asking on the Son’s authority. We must be careful to ask that which is right and acceptable in the eyes of Christ. It should actually be that which Christ wills for us before we ask it. Think on this! As we pray now, and forever, let us always be conscious to ask, “Thy Will Be Done both on earth and in Heaven – in my present life as well as the life to come. Do you do this?