DIVINE INTIMACY FOR IMPACT (3)

“ABIDE IN ME, and I IN YOU. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine; neither can you, unless you abide in Me” – John 15:4

Our Lord Jesus Christ, The Vine, calls every Believer to DIVINE INTIMACY for IMPACT: “ABIDE IN ME, and I IN YOU. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine; neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (Jh.15:4-5). During His lifetime on earth, the word He chiefly used to when speaking of the relations of the disciples to Himself was: "Follow me" (Mt.4:19; 8:22; 16:24; 19:21). When about to leave for heaven, He gave them a new word, in which their more intimate and spiritual union with Himself in Glory should be expressed – “ABIDE in ME.”

For many earnest followers of Jesus, the meaning of this instruction, with the blessed experience it promises, is still very much hidden. While trusting in the Saviour for pardon and help, and seeking to some extent to obey Him, they have hardly grasped the intimacy of fellowship and amazing oneness of life contained in the Invite, "Abide in me." This is not only a serious loss to themselves, but to the Church and the world. The influence of abiding in Christ, living in Intimacy and union with Him, and experiencing His daily and hourly presence and keeping, would be manifest in renewed purity, power, love, joy, fruit-bearing, and all the accompanying blessedness.

We need to fully understand what the Lord meant with His command, and be assured that it is not a life beyond our reach. Grace is provided to enable us to obey this instruction that’s an indispensable blessing to a healthy Christian life. As we listen, meditate, pray, surrender, and accept in faith Christ’s offer of Himself to us, the Holy Spirit will make the word to be spirit and life. Rather than live divided lives, the Lord wants to claim us wholly for Himself, as our wholehearted surrender to abide in Him alone brings joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Growing into Jesus the Vine takes time. We must invest the time. It’s not enough to read or meditate in God's Word occasionally. We need daily time with Him. To abide in Christ, we must feed on Him: “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will live because of Me” (Jh.6:57). Meal-time is not hurried time. We must thoroughly assimilate the heavenly food the Father has given us in His life, take time to put ourselves into living contact with the living Jesus, and yield consciously to His blessed influence, giving Him the opportunity to hold and embrace us, to receive the rich, full, and fruitful experience of the blessedness of abiding in Christ.