If You Abide, Day 16

Posted inDiscipleshipNo Comments

Key Scripture:

John 15:7. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Key Idea:

Here is the difference between the branch of the natural and the branch of the spiritual Vine. The former abides by force of nature: the latter abides, not by force of will, but by a divine power given to the consent of the will. Such is the wonderful provision God has made that, what the power of nature does in the one case, the power of grace will do in the other. The branch can abide in the Vine. If ye abide in me…ask whatsoeve r…
— Murray

Pray for revelation:

Yes, Lord, the power to pray and the power to prevail must depend on this abiding in Thee. As Thou art the Vine, Thou art the divine Intercessor, who breathest Thy spirit in us. Oh, for grace to abide simply and wholly in Thee, and ask great things!
— Murray

Key words:
Abide,
Ask.

In this verse is the whole message of abiding. It is a two way street. As we commit to abide in Jesus, he also will abide in us. Abiding is not a demanding relationship, but one of mutual give and take.

As humans though, we are not plants, or branches. In nature, branches have no choice but to be what they are and they just grow, and produce, unless some outside force causes them to not remain with their vine.

We humans are animated. We have

Withered Branches, Day 14

Posted inDiscipleshipNo Comments

Key Scripture:

John 15:6. “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Key Idea:

The lessons these words teach are very simple and very solemn. A man can come to such a connection with Christ, that he counts himself to be in Him, and yet he can be cast forth. There is such a thing as not abiding in Christ, which leads to withering up and burning. There is such a thing as a withered branch, one in whom the initial union with Christ appears to have taken place, and in whom yet it is seen that his faith was but for a time.
— Murray

Pray for revelation:

Withered! O my Father, watch over me, and keep me, and let nothing ever for a moment hinder the freshness that comes from a full abiding in the Vine. Let the very thought of a withered branch fill me with holy fear and watchfulness.
— Murray

Key words:
Withered,
Cast out,
Burned.

Let’s consider a normal vine. A fact of life is that some branches will, at some point, just wither and stop producing.

The same thing also happens in the spiritual context of the vine. Sometimes, what seemed to be a productive, healthy branch shrivels. A person loses their grounding, or somehow limits their contact with Jesus. While living life, swinging in the breeze, outside things begin to seem more important. Let’s not point fingers at who might be a withered branch. It just might be you. I hope not.

Rather than pointing fingers, or being judgemental. As fellow branches, there isn’t much we can do. We can encourage, we can show our concern, but the relationship for any branch is to be attached directly to the vine itself.

The only person your decisions are garanteed to affect is you alone. The motivation for abundant living, or to stay attached, or to not be distracted by outside influence, or just the desire to do your own thing, is something that each individual is in control of.

Bad decisions affect others as well, but the person making