John 15:3-4
“Already you are clean because of
the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch
cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you,
unless you abide in me.”
As I began to read these verses this morning I thought of a
story I enjoy telling young couples that are about to marry. It goes like this, a pastor is counseling the
couple and he asks the young lady if she wants the good news or the bad news
first, and her reply is O’ pastor give us the good news; so he tells them that
the two of you are going to become one, but the bad news is, which one? Jesus is also telling His disciples the good
news is that you are already clean, but the bad news is unless you abide in Him
your plans, your work, and your life will be of no eternal value.
If the disciples had been listening earlier, they would have
remembered these words of Jesus, “Truly, truly, I say
to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He
does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
(John 5:24 ESV)
Anyone who has acted on the above Scripture is clean before the Father,
in fact this thought was told to us often by Jesus. In John chapter eight, we have this word, “So
Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you
abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and
the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 ESV) Judas (not Iscariot) asks Jesus this
question, “How is it that you will manifest yourself
to us, and not to the world?” Jesus
answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and
my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John
14:23 ESV) That is the good news!
But the bad news is this war that goes on each and every
moment is called our flesh and its battle is to (live life on its terms) live
independently of God’s authority, and to not ask the Helper (The Holy Spirit)
for help. God has not minced words; we
have been warned that we have an on going battle between the flesh and the
Spirit. “But I
say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For
the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit
are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from
doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:16-17 ESV)
If you believed that after the latest Bible study on living
in victory in this fallen world you now have triumph over your version of the
flesh, guess again, that does not line up with Scripture. From everything I’ve read only one person has
truly lived the Christian life, and He is the author of life, Jesus
Christ. The Christian life is impossible
to live outside of Jesus, and that’s why it is important to understand the need
to ask the Helper for help. We must
abide, (live dependent) on Jesus and put no confidence in our flesh and its
abilities, our talents, and our ability to suck life out of this fallen world.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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