THE KING’S BUSINESS
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Monday, July 31 . John 15 : 4 - 6 .
husbandman will make no mistakes, for He is perfect in wisdom, and He is won derfully tender and kind. If any true dis ciple of Jesus will meditate long and deeply on the, words of Jesus, “my Father is the husbandman,” he will find them filling his heart with rest and joy. The distinguish ing characteristic of a true branch, that is of a branch that is inwardly and really in the vine and not merely outwardly, is that it bears fruit. This is also the distinguish ing characteristic of a true disciple (v. 8 ). What fruit is we learn from Gal. 5:22; Phil. 1:11; 1 Jno. 2:6; Rom. 1:13; Col. 1 : 1 0 , anfl in verses 8 and 16 of this chapter. God alone is the final judge as to whether we are bearing fruit or not (Rom. 14:4). If one has not that real vital union with Christ that results in fruit bearing, he is removed from his outward and seeming union, he is “taken away.” It will there fore stand each one of us in stead to ask ourselves very earnestly and prayerfully, “Am I. bearing fruit?” But even if the branch bears fruit,' it is not left alone, it is purged or cleansed “that it may bear more fruit.” If, therefore, we continue under the ever wise care of the heavenly hus bandman we may expect ever-increasing fruitfulness. The form of cleansing speci fied in the context is cleansing “through (rather, because of) the word.” If then, we desire the fullest measure pf that cleansing that brings ever-increasing fruit- fulness, we should bring our lives into constant contact with the word, which is God’s chosen method of cleansing us. Neglect of the word is the explanation of the small fruitage of many a life. But the husbandman has also other methods of cleansing the branch described elsewhere (e. g. Heb. 12:6, H)- God sometimes resorts to this severer method of cleansing of the' branch because neglect of the word renders the gentler method impossible. The cleansing process is not always pleasant, but if we shrink from it we should remem ber that it brings larger fruitfulness.
Another and closely related secret of large fruitfulness is abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in us (v. 4). What does it mean to abide in Christ? Many very mystical and misty explanations pf this have been given that leave the average student of the Bible in a great fog, but if one will note carefully what Jesus is talking about it is very simple. To abide in Christ, according to the context, is sim ply to have the same relation to Christ Jesus as the living and continuously fruit bearing branch has to the vine of which it is a part. , This branch has no independent life of its own, it draws all its life and sap and fruit bearing energy from the vine. It does not try to bear any, fruit of its own, it simply lets the life pf the vine con tinually flow in and the buds and leaves and blossoms and leaves .and clusters on the branch are simply a manifestation, not of any independent life of the branch, but of the life of the vine. So we abide in Christ when we renounce any independent’ life and power of our own and just look ever to Christ Jesus for His life and let it flow in, unhindered by distrust, or dis obedience, or by attempting to do anything or be anything as of .ourselves. So that our thoughts and desires and purposes and acts are simply manifestations not of our own life but of His life that is in us. So far as we bear this relation to Christ we shall bear 'much fruit. The utter failure to maintain this relation to Christ, and the cpnsequent attempt to be anything of our selves, means fruitlessness, and that means casting forth, withering and burning. And partial failure ‘to’ maintain this relation to Christ means partial fruitlessness. Are you abiding in Him and is He abiding in you? It is useless to try to do anything of yourself, to do anything except in His strength, in His life and energy. Apart from Him you can do NOTHING.
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