There is more to
salvation than escaping hell. Salvation and happiness in this world are not our
ultimate goals either. God’s salvation enables us to flourish in our victory
over sin and to live in absolute obedience to His Spirit moment by moment
throughout the day. In order to fully succeed in life, we daily repent of our
sins and submit our life to God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. As we abide in
Christ we grow in our ability to hear His Spirit leading us each moment of the day.
Abiding in
Christ, we also bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters, and we share a
passion for souls to come to Calvary’s cross and to repent, just as we did.
Christ in us gives us the courage and strength to share His love with the
unsaved world, in spite of any difficulties along the way. We love each person
with God’s agape love, regardless of his or her behavior. We are able to impart
His life to others as they open their hearts to His Word.
We cannot live
without the Vine. The vine cannot bear fruit by itself. It needs branches in
order to bear its fruit. The Master Gardener prunes us as a branch of the
eternal Vine; and we bear much fruit that blesses others when they feast from
it. As we abide in Christ, completely and fully, we bear the fruit of His
Spirit, which is the nature of God.
We bear His love
for the world, His joy which is our strength, His peace in our circumstances,
His patience in tribulation, His gentleness toward irritating people, His
goodness in the face of adversity, His meek in submission to our superiors, His
self-control in temptation and His faith in God’s faithfulness.
As we submit our
life to Christ, we admit our weakness and find His power in place of our
strength. We are mighty instruments in the hand of the Father, because His
Spirit dwells within us. His strength is perfected in our weakness as we fully
admit our need for all of Him in our life. Then we can rest assured that He is
working through us, according to His purpose, timing and way. As we lift Him up,
Jesus uses us to draw all men to Himself, giving them the opportunity to accept
or to reject Him.
The key to
abiding in Christ is the realization that we are empty of all ambition and
abilities, but that He fills us with all the fullness of His divine power and
spiritual fruit (Galatians
5:22-23). We live in
childlike faith in His faithfulness. We walk in confidence that God is using
our body, soul and spirit for His Kingdom and glory. We do greater works than
Christ (John 14:12), because He dwells in us by His
Spirit. His Spirit within us draws all men to Him.
Prayer:
Father God, our
humility comes from realizing that without You, we can do nothing; and that in
You, Christ can do all things through us (Philippians
4:13). Help us to walk in Your
Spirit, to influence those in our life for You, and to walk in the calling that
You prepared for us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Let others see our resemblance to the Vine, as a branch full of Your Spirit’s
fruit.
Thought for the
Day:
May we live so that the holiness and love of God within us
shines His light into the darkness of the world around us.
