Your Church and the Same-Sex Marriage Decisions
The following is a reprint of an article found at The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission Your Church and the Same-Sex Marriage Decisions By Russell Moore (posted with permission from…
If You Abide, Day 16
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
Grace: Source of Blessing and Curses.
God is good. He has a plan. Maybe Abram didn't fully know what it was to be, but he knew that God was about to use him, and bless him in a big way. I like the way it appears in the original Hebrew grammar. Using double words to show the emphasis on the actions that Abram is to do, and the actions that God will do.
Just because a power is within our ability, doesn't mean we have to act that way. Show grace and choose to not curse others. God's preference is to be a blessing to all the wworld, keep his preference and keep extending grace and blessing to others.