5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
17 This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:5-8, 16-17
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!
Last Sunday, we were blessed by the ministry of Ps David Leong and his wife, Cynthia, who challenged us to contemplate the out-workings of a life that ‘abides in Christ.’
Here are some continuing thoughts based on the passage in John 15, which I pray will deepened your conversation with the Holy Spirit regarding living out Christ’s own words to ‘remain in me and I in you.’
Christ plainly expresses that in order to bear much fruit, our lives must be seamlessly connected, coherent and consistent with our Lord Jesus’.
Just like branches to the true vine, our lives must be visceral off-shoots from the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need to have a deep, meaningful and intimate relationship with Christ.
We need to identify with, embrace and express Christ in and through our lives.
Our Lord Jesus Christ must inform, inspire and energize our every impulse and impetus in life.
We need to know Christ and be known by Him.
In every aspect of our lives, we must be fully connected to Jesus.
Christ in me, and I in Christ.
Contemplate this.
Are there aspects of your life that are not fully connected to Jesus? What are they?
Are you willing to fully connect to Christ in every aspect of your life?
Bear this in mind - apart from Christ, we can do nothing.
And even if we 'think' we are doing something - apart from Christ - we are actually doing nothing.
Period.
Here’s the grave reality: if there are any aspects of your life that is apart from Christ, but you are nevertheless achieving a measure of success in those aspects, Christ is saying,
‘Your ‘successes’ will be short-lived and ultimately proof to be meaningless; even to you – 'for apart from me, you can do nothing.' There will be no lasting nor eternal value to your enterprise.
In fact, if you keep living apart from me, you will lose not only that which you work so hard for, you will lose yourself.’
Beloved, may our lives never be like that branch, thrown away, withered, picked up, thrown into the fire and burned… …
What must I do to be connected with Jesus?
‘Remain in me and my words remain in you’
Beloved, does the Word of God remain in you?
Is it important to you that Christ remains in you?
If it is, then, it would be deeply important to you to conscientiously spend time internalizing the Word of God.
If you desire to 'remain in Christ and for Christ to remain in you' - this must become a non-negotiable in your life - ‘My words remain in you’
Just as you would embark on a dietary and exercise regime to ensure physical vitality, take the same mindset and embark on a regime to ensure your spiritual vitality.
Eat right.
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty. (Jeremiah 15:16)
Eat the words of God; consider them your joy and your heart’s delight.
What you eat determines who you become.
You are a child of the Most High God; you belong to the Lord.
So, bear His name – and bear it well. Eat right.
Exercise right.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2a)
Exercise your faith - throw off all temptations and sin. You don't need them, they bring death to you; cast them aside.
Exercise your faith - in the power of the Holy Spirit, run your life with perseverance; run with purpose.
Let the Word of God inform, inspire and energize every of life's decisions and deeds that you will make and undertake.
Never move forward without first consulting the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
Exercise right.
When every moment becomes encompassed with the divine reality that God remains in you, as you remain in Him, and His words remain in you – the result of which becomes simply and profoundly your knowledge and understanding of God’s Will for your life.
You become cognizant of God’s purposes for you; and your prayers become fully aligned with God’s Will for you.
‘Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.’ (v7)
God will lay upon your lips, that which is upon His heart – when you remain in Christ and Christ remains in you.
Never fall to the deception of the evil one; that your life will never bear fruit that is pleasing to our God.
Is that a possibility? Most definitely!
However Christ makes it clear to us.
We get to choose.
And the key is to remain in Christ and let Christ remain in us.
The process is to choose - constantly and consistently - to remain in Christ, and to let His words remain in us.
We get to choose.
Therefore, dearly Beloved -
May you choose to live the eternally faithful and fruitful life; remaining in Christ, as Christ remains in you.
May you remain in Christ, through His words remaining in you.
May God make known to every person in your life, the glorious riches of this mystery among the world, which is –
‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ (Colossians 1:27)
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Holy Spirit, please teach me, and empower me to remain in Christ.
Mold me, so that Christ remains in me.
Create in me a hunger and thirst for the Word of God to remain in me.
May I live solely for the hope of glory; may Christ live in me.
Grant me the courage and wisdom to turn away from all efforts to achieve this-worldly successes – which I fully know to be temporal and destined for the fire.
Forgive me for turning away from You, my God. Forgive me for my past quests for personal glory and success. Today, I count it all as nothing in the eyes of my Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Grant me the impulse to remain in You and to let Your words remain in me.
Grant me the impulse to pray powerful and effective prayers – because you have laid upon my heart that which is upon Yours.
Grant me the impulse to bear much fruit – showing the world that I am Your disciple – to the glory of God my Father.
Grant me the impulse to be Your divine agent of love – bringing Your healing to the nations.
We thank you and pray all these in the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
17 This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:5-8, 16-17
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!
Last Sunday, we were blessed by the ministry of Ps David Leong and his wife, Cynthia, who challenged us to contemplate the out-workings of a life that ‘abides in Christ.’
Here are some continuing thoughts based on the passage in John 15, which I pray will deepened your conversation with the Holy Spirit regarding living out Christ’s own words to ‘remain in me and I in you.’
Christ plainly expresses that in order to bear much fruit, our lives must be seamlessly connected, coherent and consistent with our Lord Jesus’.
Just like branches to the true vine, our lives must be visceral off-shoots from the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need to have a deep, meaningful and intimate relationship with Christ.
We need to identify with, embrace and express Christ in and through our lives.
Our Lord Jesus Christ must inform, inspire and energize our every impulse and impetus in life.
We need to know Christ and be known by Him.
In every aspect of our lives, we must be fully connected to Jesus.
Christ in me, and I in Christ.
Contemplate this.
Are there aspects of your life that are not fully connected to Jesus? What are they?
Are you willing to fully connect to Christ in every aspect of your life?
Bear this in mind - apart from Christ, we can do nothing.
And even if we 'think' we are doing something - apart from Christ - we are actually doing nothing.
Period.
Here’s the grave reality: if there are any aspects of your life that is apart from Christ, but you are nevertheless achieving a measure of success in those aspects, Christ is saying,
‘Your ‘successes’ will be short-lived and ultimately proof to be meaningless; even to you – 'for apart from me, you can do nothing.' There will be no lasting nor eternal value to your enterprise.
In fact, if you keep living apart from me, you will lose not only that which you work so hard for, you will lose yourself.’
Beloved, may our lives never be like that branch, thrown away, withered, picked up, thrown into the fire and burned… …
What must I do to be connected with Jesus?
‘Remain in me and my words remain in you’
Beloved, does the Word of God remain in you?
Is it important to you that Christ remains in you?
If it is, then, it would be deeply important to you to conscientiously spend time internalizing the Word of God.
If you desire to 'remain in Christ and for Christ to remain in you' - this must become a non-negotiable in your life - ‘My words remain in you’
Just as you would embark on a dietary and exercise regime to ensure physical vitality, take the same mindset and embark on a regime to ensure your spiritual vitality.
Eat right.
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty. (Jeremiah 15:16)
Eat the words of God; consider them your joy and your heart’s delight.
- Read the Word.
- Memorize the Word.
- Contemplate the Word.
- Discuss the Word.
- Live the Word.
What you eat determines who you become.
You are a child of the Most High God; you belong to the Lord.
So, bear His name – and bear it well. Eat right.
Exercise right.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2a)
Exercise your faith - throw off all temptations and sin. You don't need them, they bring death to you; cast them aside.
Exercise your faith - in the power of the Holy Spirit, run your life with perseverance; run with purpose.
Let the Word of God inform, inspire and energize every of life's decisions and deeds that you will make and undertake.
Never move forward without first consulting the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
Exercise right.
When every moment becomes encompassed with the divine reality that God remains in you, as you remain in Him, and His words remain in you – the result of which becomes simply and profoundly your knowledge and understanding of God’s Will for your life.
You become cognizant of God’s purposes for you; and your prayers become fully aligned with God’s Will for you.
‘Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.’ (v7)
God will lay upon your lips, that which is upon His heart – when you remain in Christ and Christ remains in you.
- Your prayers become powerful and effective. (James 5:16)
- Your life begins to bear much fruit, showing the world that you are Christ’s disciple – to the glory of the Father. (v8)
- You begin to understand that Christ has personally chosen and appointed you for this kingdom work of bearing ‘fruit that will last.’ (v16)
- You become divine agent of His perfect and eternal love, obedient to His command to ‘Love each other’. (v17).
Never fall to the deception of the evil one; that your life will never bear fruit that is pleasing to our God.
Is that a possibility? Most definitely!
However Christ makes it clear to us.
We get to choose.
And the key is to remain in Christ and let Christ remain in us.
The process is to choose - constantly and consistently - to remain in Christ, and to let His words remain in us.
We get to choose.
Therefore, dearly Beloved -
May you choose to live the eternally faithful and fruitful life; remaining in Christ, as Christ remains in you.
May you remain in Christ, through His words remaining in you.
May God make known to every person in your life, the glorious riches of this mystery among the world, which is –
‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ (Colossians 1:27)
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Holy Spirit, please teach me, and empower me to remain in Christ.
Mold me, so that Christ remains in me.
Create in me a hunger and thirst for the Word of God to remain in me.
May I live solely for the hope of glory; may Christ live in me.
Grant me the courage and wisdom to turn away from all efforts to achieve this-worldly successes – which I fully know to be temporal and destined for the fire.
Forgive me for turning away from You, my God. Forgive me for my past quests for personal glory and success. Today, I count it all as nothing in the eyes of my Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Grant me the impulse to remain in You and to let Your words remain in me.
Grant me the impulse to pray powerful and effective prayers – because you have laid upon my heart that which is upon Yours.
Grant me the impulse to bear much fruit – showing the world that I am Your disciple – to the glory of God my Father.
Grant me the impulse to be Your divine agent of love – bringing Your healing to the nations.
We thank you and pray all these in the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.