Christ, The Vine
J. Allen Blair
If you were in the business of growing fruit and you had a tree that never produced fruit, I am pretty sure you would do something about it-right? Christians are supposed to be fruit-bearers for God. How do you expect God to react to those who bear little or no fruit?
On one occasion, Jesus declared I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman (John 15:1). Consider three things about Christ as the true Vine: first, the ABIDING; second, the PURGING; and third, the BEARING.
Abiding in The Vine
In John 15:2 Jesus says, Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away. And in verse 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. Those outside of Jesus Christ are pictured here as useless branches, condemned to eternal perdition. The word abide expresses the idea of being united to Christ by believing He died for our sins and rose again. Unless one has received Christ as his Lord, he is not abiding in the Savior and is lost until he repents and turns to Christ for salvation.
Throughout the Bible, one pre-eminent truth is presented repeatedly-we must be in Christ to be saved. There is no salvation apart from Him. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. And in Romans 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. To be in Christ Jesus is to believe that He died and rose again for your sins. When you believe this truth in your heart, you are a branch engrafted into the Vine, the Living Vine, the Lord Jesus Christ.
You may say, "I know that. I have heard it all my life." More importantly, you must answer the question, "Do I believe it and have I received the living Lord into my life?"
A sign painter in a small town in Missouri was taken to the police court on a charge of smoking in bed. His smoking was the cause of a blaze in his hotel room. When asked if he knew it was against the law to smoke in bed in a hotel, he quickly replied, "I'll say I do! I painted fifty signs saying it was against the law to smoke in bed. I painted them for use in the hotel rooms." The sign painter was found guilty and paid a fine, condemned by his own testimony.
Many people know it is wrong to doubt and disbelieve the Word of God regarding salvation, but they continue on just the same, doubting and disbelieving. It is one thing to know the truth, but quite another to receive it.
We read in John 1:12, But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. Christ must be received into the life before one can abide in the Vine. Have you received Him into your life? If you have, then He expects you to be fruitful. The test of abiding is fruit-bearing.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, By their fruits ye shall know them. It is not enough to say "Oh yes, I believe." There must be evidence of the belief, lived through a life of obedience and holiness to God. There must be fruit.
Purging of the Branches
Jesus declared further in John 15:2, Every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. You say you are a Christian and yet your life is unfruitful? It may be necessary for God to do some pruning.
The next verse says, Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. God prunes and purges with trials, that we might put away sin. For a Christian to continue in known sin may mean purging, for sin hinders fruitfulness. Christians should not only hate sin, but flee from it.
God says in Psalm 4:4, Stand in awe, and sin not; and in Psalm 97:10, Ye that love the Lord, hate evil. If a child of God does not forsake sin, trial may come so that he might be drawn closer to the Lord, and as the result more effectively reveal the beauty of Christ.
"Physical beauty is only skin deep." But modern surgery has demonstrated that ugliness is not even skin deep. Scars, pockmarks, freckles, and blemishes from skin diseases have been show to penetrate not more than half the thickness of the skin. Years ago, Dr. Preston C. Johnson of Philadelphia devised a process of using common, ordinary sandpaper for the removal of about half the thickness of defective skin. The patient was given an anesthetic and the skin was sandpapered, bleeding as though injured badly. It was then dressed with sterilized gauze which was removed after about four days. The inflamed skin rejuvenated without evidence of the former blemishes.
The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has had the sin of the heart dealt with when he received Christ. In addition to this, the Lord began a sandpapering process. Day-by-day He allows the trials of life, like the friction of harsh abrasives, to bring us to a deeper consciousness of what we were by nature and what we are now by grace, so we might reveal the glory of Christ. To avoid sorrow and suffering, we should judge ourselves so that we need not be judged by the Lord. If we Christians would examine our own lives and put away known sin, we could be spared many trials.
Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:21, If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
Bearing Fruit
What is keeping you from a life of usefulness and blessing to the Lord? At this very moment, acknowledge it and confess it to God, and let Him give you real victory. If you confess the sin, the bearing of fruit will follow. 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 (John 15:5).
I hope you have taken Christ into your life and that you are bearing fruit for God. If you don't know Christ as Savior and Lord, now is the time to ask Him to forgive you, so you can begin a new fruit-bearing life in Him!
Checking Up
The printed message offer this month is a tool to help you check up on your parenting skill. The title is specific:
How to Be a Good Parent
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Wearing The Jersey
Pastor David Gales, Board of Glad Tidings
Notre Dame Football (The Fighting Irish) has achieved unparalleled success in college football. Their campus trophy room houses more championship rings and Heisman Trophies than any other school. The school's legendary past creates a proud environment for success today. The pro teams fight each other for their graduates. There is an unusual ceremony at the beginning of each season. The coaches gather the team together for "The Ceremony of the Jersey". Each new recruit is presented with his game jersey-the number he will be wearing the next four years. A scroll is read to reveal all the legends who have worn that number; their names, awards, honors, and degrees. The new recruit's is the final name. The implication is to "wear it proudly, carry on the tradition, and build on our history."
In Christian ministry we follow a long line of notables, including Dr. J. Allen Blair. We who had the privilege of knowing Dr. Blair personally feel humbled in some fashion to wear his jersey. Faithful teachers like Dr. Blair have left their mark and carried their calling like a birthright. Their signature was their message; their godly life was their visual aid. We may not remember all their words, but we will never forget them and their passion!
When seven-year-old Joash became King of Judah, he must have been in awe of the great kings and he followed their devotion and their heroics, choosing to model the godly kings. Two hundred years later, eight-year-old Josiah was crowned King. His favorite story must have been of the young king, Joash, who like him, began to reign while in grammar school. It's no wonder that Josiah brought revival to the Land. He was simply doing what his hero had done. The jersey fit.
Hebrews eleven is an eternal roster of champions who wore the jersey well. Today, our high calling is to pass that jersey on. As we have been taught-we teach. As we have been led-we lead. Dr. Blair has passed his jersey down to Gary Janes and the Glad Tiding Board of Directors. I pray we wear it well!
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