It seems that every day I'm more and more sure that the way to live the Christian life is by staying in the written Word AND keeping very intimate with the Living Word, Jesus Christ, through the indwelling Holy Spirit within us. The more I study scripture, the more I see that this is just how Jesus lived his life here on earth constantly abiding (practicing His presence, constantly connected, desperately dependent, moment-by-moment) in His Father. Over and again, primarily in the Gospel of John, we read that Jesus said he could do nothing on his own. It was the Father living in Him who was doing His work. Jesus only said what he heard the Father saying, and only did what he saw the Father doing. In fact, the Father not only told Jesus what to say, but even how to say it (John 12:49). Then in John 15, Jesus tells his disciples--"Apart from me, you can do nothing."
What does a branch do to bear fruit? Struggle? Worry? Fret? Sweat? No, the branch merely abides—stays constantly connected to the Vine, and then the sap flows from the vine into the branch—and then the branch bears fruit. How? Simply by being available as a branch to the vine. And the same is true for us as Christians. He, Jesus, is the Vine. And we, in our own weak selves, are the branches. His job is to send the sap through the vine and bear the fruit. Ours is to abide--to remain constantly connected (the constant preoccupation of the heart with Jesus) allowing the life/sap of the Vine (the Holy Spirit) to flow through us (the branch). Then as we abide, the Holy Spirit produces His fruits through us--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).
Abiding in Christ is constantly listening to Him and being Holy Spirit led (Gal 5:16-18). Even saying a hundred times a day, "O, Holy Spirit, here I am. What would you have me to do? What would you have me to say? What would you have me to think? Here I am abandoned to you. I relinquish my life to you to live through however you choose. You are the Vine, and I am your branch. Flow through me, Holy Spirit, doing your work and your will, by your power & provision. Moment by moment I will abide (remain constantly connected by the power of the Holy Spirit) in Jesus."
Then, BY FAITH, we live that life moment by moment. We were saved by grace through faith at a particular point in history. We live the Christian life the same way—by grace through faith. BUT, instead of a one time event, we live this kind of life moment by moment by moment by moment, one breath at a time. And THAT is the Christian life.
© 2005 Chip Kirk |
