John chapter 15 is an excellent chapter! It has so many great things in it! If you have time today, read it over. It's only 27 verses. A couple of things caught my attention this morning. First of all, Jesus says to abide in Him, because without Him we can do nothing. You know, I've felt very powerless lately. Not that I can lose my salvation, but that no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to accomplish anything of true, or eternal, value. I got to thinking, maybe I'm not "abiding in Him"? I wondered how I could abide in Christ? Of course, I do abide with Him always as far as my salvation goes. I can't lose that. But Jesus seems to indicate it's something other than salvation. He says in John15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. So, it would appear that I can abide by obeying His commandments. By keeping His commandments, and abiding, I will also have full joy (John 15:11) The commandment that Jesus stresses that we keep is found in John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Love one another...that seems to be the thing I struggle with the most!
So, to "abide", I must keep His commandments, particularly loving others as Christ loved me. If I do these things, He will give me full joy. I will also bring forth fruit, and that fruit will remain. (John 15:16)
One more interesting thing about this chapter, is that Jesus explains why we are hated. Let me say, I hate being hated! I want everyone to love me, or at least like me. I try to be thoughtful and kind. I do my best to go to a person immediately if I think I've hurt them in some way, and apologize. I do all I can to keep and make friends. But, some folks just don't like me. Jesus says in John15:18-19 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
I think that's pretty
clear. We, as believers, are in the world, but not of it. We march to the tune
of a different drummer, you might say. We are out of step with society at
large. Our lives revolve around God's Word, God's House, and our families. Not
climbing the ladder at work, not spending time on the lake, or buying the
latest fashions, or whatever. This seems strange to the world.
Not only are our
priorities different from the world's, but we believe there is a Heaven, and a
Hell. People don't like to think that there is a Hell, but God's Word says
there is. We had a lady leave our church because my husband said that a certain
denomination rejects the Gospel, therefore, those people are going to Hell.
This didn't sit right with her. She liked someone from that church, and didn't
want to think about their going to Hell. Instead of witnessing to them, she
left the church. I don't understand. It wasn't my husband's opinion, it was
God's, based on His own Word!
I want to abide in
Christ, not depend on my own strength to see things accomplished for him. Even
if it means I am hated.
You are so right. I like to abide in my own thoughts, activities, and interests instead of God's word and His thoughts/instructions. Thank you for posting this challenge.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Mother