John 15:4-5
January 23, 2012 Leave a Comment
Good morning friends,
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Our abiding in Christ is not a mechanical thing; it is a living organic thing. While it is true we are in Christ solely because of His finished work, we must think of abiding in Christ in the realm of faith as well. It is not in our working that we abide in Christ, but a continued response, in faith, to what Christ has done. The surety of our being in Christ is in our bearing fruit. We might consider 1 Peter 1:10 here:
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
We mustn’t live in doubt of our salvation, unless we see a lack of fruit. We cannot be sure of our election if we do not see evidence of such. Fruit is the natural extension of being in the vine. It is in Christ that we draw life and outside of being in the vine we have no power to produce fruit. When we live in the reality of our organic connection to Christ it will be evident – we can be sure.
Bill
Heidelberg Catechism
Q. 30.
Do such then believe in Jesus the only Saviour, who seek their salvation and welfare of saints, of themselves, or anywhere else?
A. They do not; for though they boast of him in words, yet in deeds they deny Jesus the only deliverer and Saviour; (a) for one of these two things must be true, that either Jesus is not a complete Saviour; or that they, who by a true faith receive this Saviour, must find all things in him necessary to their salvation. (b) (a) 1 Cor.1:13,30,31; Gal.5:4. (b) Heb.12:2; Isa.9:6; Col.1:19,20; Col.2:10; 1 John 1:7,16.
