V.1
John 15:1–8 MSG
[1-3] “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch
of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he
prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the
message I have spoken.”
[4] “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that
a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you
can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me. [5-8] “I am the Vine; you are the
branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and
organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a
thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on
the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at
home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and
acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes,
when you mature as my disciples.”
V.2-3.
You are the temple of God. You are God's house.
Oh! What a noble calling... What holy trust. What!? God trusts you...? With Himself?
He wants you to envelop Him.
V.4.
“Oh Lord... Make my heart your home. My heart shall be, now and always, a home for you!”
V.5. What manner of calling has He bestowed upon us?
V.6. A royal priesthood. Not servants, but sons. Not gatekeepers, but preservers of divinity.
The indwelling of God's very nature. What manner of blessing is this?
Oh! I am glorified...
Hebrews 12:2 KJV
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of
the throne of God."
V.8. The cross symbolizes His mantle. The weight of His calling. The four edges signify the
different paths of life he could have walked, but He stayed grounded. He could have
been King of the Jews. He could have fallen in love with a fair maiden and settled. He
could have given in to the devil's temptation and received the wealth of the nations, the
appraisal and adoration of men, or He could have avoided His calling, and lived an
ordinary life. V.9. He had these choices to make every blessed morning, and night. It was
never too late to make these choices... V.10. But He stayed on course. He could have strayed,
V.11. but v.12. He stayed at the center of it all, where all the weight of it pressed him. He moved
with the burden of the whole world... And counted His steps. He stumbled, He fell, but
He rose again... and picked the heavy cross 'Mount Golgotha... Here we come.'
He endured, He remained pure: without blemish, without spot.
V.13-22.
Are we not all the more inspired by Christ's way of living?
He is the ultimate Bread of Life... Because of His sacrifice He became our Passover.
Failure sees us and passes over.
V.23. Death sees us and passes over. Falsehood, ignorance, sickness, and damnation see us
and pass over.
V.24. This Bread had its flour sifted. No blemish or crumbs. He went through the roughest
times and regimes, yet He did not compromise. He witnessed an unstable economy, a
perverted generation; He attracted all manner of earthly and material favour, but He
remained pure. Chaste.
V.25. What a pace He has set for us. He didn't give us His righteousness alone, no. He set a
standard of living. We ought to live holy and pure.
One may be sinning now, depending on the grace of our Lord Jesus to continually wash
away his sin, but he can decide to walk worthy of his calling; and he can say, “I would
walk as the Master walked. I would be holy and blameless. I am the temple of God. God
honoured my body with His presence... My mortal body. I would honour God and resist
every appearance of corruption and sin. So help me God.”
V26. Sin reduces the glory of God upon a man's life. It weakens him continually.
There is a grace for purity, and an enablement for holiness.
The power of God is found on holy grounds. The glory of God is found in pure vessels. Purity. Holiness.
Rededicate your body as a living sacrifice. Today, as you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.
For without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man sows, that he shall also reap.
God always gives back what He demands.
V.27. Except a corn of wheat enters the ground and dies, it abides alone. But when it dies, it
produces more. Die to yourself, and you would discover who you truly are.
He who loses his life will gain it. Lose the urge for instant gratification, and you would
drink from a fountain. A fountain of God's sustenance. You would never thirst, never
faint, never grow weary.
V.28. Your calling is to sacrifice yourself in the manner of our Lord Jesus Christ, as a living
sacrifice. To offer up vanity and practice holiness every day. Every day.
How does a pure one live? He's restrained. Restricted, and special. He's set apart and
inaccessible. He's tempted, but he doesn't give in. He lives uprightly to please God. He
accepts the righteousness of Christ... But he also fulfils the requisite demands of
priesthood, because that is who he is in Christ... A priest.
There is an expectation of every priest.
Righteousness is God's gift to us; holiness is our reciprocal gift to Him.
Love isn't one-sided. In order for intimacy to bloom, both parties give their very best.
V.29. God has given His very best; He gave His first begotten in order to birth our
righteousness. V.30. His expectation of us is to give ourselves purely, wholly, in all holiness.
V.31. No more half-baked Christianity. No more breadcrumbing God. You can't mock God or play mind games with God.
V.32. You can't say you love God and continue sinning.
V.33. He says, “If you love me, keep my commands.”
He's commanded us to abide in Him. In order to come into Him, you leave your baggage
outside. You can't hold onto your beautiful rags while coming into Him... Drop them
outside.
God is long-suffering, but one day... He'd look away, and His face would never return.
Say it... “I would live worthy of my calling.”
Think about it... God didn't perfect you before calling you. That's because He trusts you.
He trusts that you'd listen to Him in every step you take. He gave you your gifts and
expects you to conform to His will. He gave you righteousness, even when you were
bloodied by sin, because He believes in you—that you'd forsake your sin and walk in
HOLINESS, to be worthy of the righteousness you've been called into.
V.34
We are not swine that are washed up and esteemed, only to return back to the dirt. No!
We are royalty... Chin up, composed in all dignity and integrity.
Say this:
“God trusts me, I won't compromise.”
V.35
Today, as you make up your mind to set aside every weight and iniquity, to chase purity
and holiness, may God impart divine strength to you to resist every appearance of evil.
It is not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit. The same Spirit that led our Lord
Jesus through the valley of the shadow of death would lead you through every
turbulence. V.36. He'd keep your head above every wave that threatens to drown you. You'd
walk in purity and holiness, as a high priest worthy of his calling. Amen.
God bless you. Shalom.
Comments
Post a Comment