Laced With Grace

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”(John 8:31-32 NKJV)

The word “abide” means “to live” or “to dwell.” So, to abide in Christ, means to live in Christ together as one person. Jesus Christ and the Word of God are one in the same. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. “ (John 1:14 NKJV). So, if we will abide in Christ, then we abide in the Word.

Abiding in God’s Word is extremely vital in becoming a follower of Christ; it results in knowing the truth, which sets us free from the bondage of sin. (See: Ephesians. 4:17-24 NKJV)

If we will abide in the Word, the Word will instruct us and teach us in the way we should go. (See Psalm 32:8 KJV).

 Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5 KJV)

In the Parable of the Vine in John 15:1-17; we find an illustration that Christ gave His disciples on how their relationship with Him should be. Everyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ and confesses Christ as their Savior receives a new position in life. Each new believer goes from being dead in his sins “in Adam” to being alive to God “in Christ.”

In Jesus’ illustration in John 15, God is the gardener, Christ is the true vine, His disciples are the branches held in place by the vine, and the Holy Spirit is the sap that flows from the vine to the branches, giving them the vine’s life and power. The branches cannot bear fruit unless they remain (abide) in the vine at all times. The gardener “grafts” the branches into the vine, and as the branches remain (abide) in this new position, they become “one wood” with the vine.

Christ used this example from nature to help His disciples understand how essential daily intimacy and connection with Him would be in their lives in order for them to bear fruit for God’s glory—which is the purpose for which He saves us. God’s vision for each of his children is that we know and become like Jesus. The only way to know and become like Christ is to abide in Him. We abide by surrendering our lives to Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to control us instead of being controlled by our sinful desires.

To abide in Christ, it is imperative that we abide is the Word of God. In John 15:3, Jesus told His disciples that it was His Words of Truth that had made them clean. In Verse 7, Jesus tells His disciples how vital it is to know His Word in order to have an effective prayer life. His Word is so essential if we are going to abide in the Vine and bear fruit that glorifies God. In order to abide in Christ, we must communicate with Him. As in any good relationship, this includes both talking to Him, and listening to Him. The Word of God is His voice in our lives. His Spirit assists us in understanding what God is saying through His Word. As we spend time abiding in His Word, the more we know Christ and begin to understand His heart, His plans, and His purpose. As we know Him more, we will trust Him more. As we trust Him more, we will surrender to Him more. As we surrender to Him more, we will bear more fruit.

It is imperative to understand that abiding is the only way that our lives will glorify God because when we abide, we bear the fruit that the vine produces (See Gal. 5:22-24 and 2 Peter 1:5-8).

God’s will for us is not just that we have an intimate relationship with Christ through abiding. His will is that we have an intimate relationship with Christ so that we will bear fruit for His glory.

If we abide in Christ, the Holy Spirit flows from the Vine through us- the branches- bringing to us the life and the power of the Vine.  To abide means daily surrendering our lives to God, allowing Him to work in us and through us.

Dear gracious heavenly Father, Thank you for providing Your Son so we can know You intimately through Him and Your Word. May we daily abide in Your Word of Truth, and in so doing may we produce much fruit for Your glory. In Jesus name, amen.

Some days are tough. Some are long. This one was both. It wasn’t the worst I’ve ever been through, but it was the worst in a recent stretch of days that were going fairly well, and I was looking forward to calling it a night. I felt defeated and cranky, but just then the Holy Spirit said, “Choose joy.”

Don’t you hate it when He does that? You’re tired, so you’re embracing the path of least resistance, which inevitably means following the flesh. That’s when He does it, asks you to rise above, to shine His light when you feel dark.

And you know what it brought to mind? Jesus and two scriptures.

Jesus had a rough day of his own after having to come down pretty hard on the pharisees. He left the temple, maybe hoping to call it a day, just like me. But he didn’t get to kick off his shoes and relax for the evening because the disciples pointed out the temple buildings to him on the way out.

Here’s where we get a glimpse into what Jesus was thinking, because when he looks at the temple with the disciples, he sees the temple as it will be in a future day, when not one stone will stand any longer on another. I think Jesus must have been getting homesick. On the heels of a tough confrontation his thoughts might have grown dark and fell upon another tough day for him that was fast approaching – Crucifixion Day.

Instead of lingering over the spiritual and physical agony of crucifixion, he goes in his mind even further to another day, a better day – the Day of the Lord. So Jesus looks at the temple, and sees it as it will one day be, destroyed, when he will come again. It sparks a conversation with the disciples about the signs of his coming and the end of the age, and that glorious Day. (Matthew 23-24)

 Maybe Jesus did this because he already knew the future. We’re not so capable of scanning the future for our thoughts to land on a better time. But Jesus gave us a few gems about that Day that can carry us through our long, difficult days. Those gems shine His light into our present darkness if we let them.

I think that just might be what Jesus’ late night in Gethsemane was all about. He was looking for a way to wrap his hands around a bitter cup he didn’t want to drink. But God asked him to embrace that cup like a crystal goblet that shined light to a future wedding feast where He will wed his Bride. I think the Holy Spirit might have asked him to look at his long, tough crucifixion day and choose joy. The request made Jesus sweat. Blood.

But he did it. The writer of Hebrews tells us that ”…Jesus, …for the joy set before Him, endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus looked at undeserved death by ultimate torture at the hands of men he loved and longed to forgive and saw beyond it to the joy enduring would bring.

Can we do any less when faced with a long, hard day that is actually short and easy when compared with what Jesus endured for the joy set before him? We can look to the same glorious day and endure for the sake of joy.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (KJV)

” To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

           A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;    a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;    a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;   a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;    a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;   a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace”

Our front porch with the "love-birds" Fred and Louise.

Autumn is my favorite of the four seasons.    At the beginning of autumn we still have the bright colorful flowers of summer along with the bursts of sunflower yellow, burnt orange and burgundy colored mums.  As the season continues I love to see how each day the leaves on the trees turn from bright green to orange, yellow and red.  Our rural mountain community looks like a beautiful oil painting by Thomas Kinkade.  Communities begin hosting Harvest Festivals and Oktoberfest’s with hayrides, candy apples, pumpkin carving contests, and the sweet aroma of freshly baked pumpkin pies and hot apple cider fills the air. 

Autumn is also a time when I ponder upon the above passages in Ecclesiastes.  There is so much wisdom in those eight verses.  I reflect upon these verses in reference to my own life. 

• Do I “die” to my fleshly desires so I may “live” in Christ anew each day?
• Do I plant seeds of the fruit of the Spirit so others may reap the harvest? 
• Do my actions tear down the work of the Lord or do I build up others with words of kindness?
• Do I help bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted?
• Do I weep when I see poverty, abuse, starvation and hopelessness in my own community?
• Do I mourn for the lost souls who need the Lord as their Savior?
• Do I find time to bring laughter in my life and rejoice in the joy of Lord?
• Do I dance with joy when a lost soul receives Christ as their Savior?
• Do I embrace the life the Lord has given me?
• Do I purge the things in my life that hinder my witness for Christ?
• Do I know when to “let go” and “let God” take over?
• Do I speak up for the “right” things and for those who cannot speak for themselves?
• Do I keep my mouth shut when I really want to lash out and hurt others as they have hurt me?
• Do I have a Christ-like love for others?
• Do I truly hate “sin” or do I tolerate “sin”? 
• Do I have a conscious awareness that there is Spiritual Warfare going on trying to keep me from living for Christ?
• Do I seek a life in peace with others as well as share the Peace that passes all understanding? 

Dear Heavenly Father, as I enjoy my favorite time of the year, I ask that you examine my heart and bring to my mind the things I need to confess so that I can be a better witness for you each day of my life.  Lord, remind me that to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.  In Jesus precious name, amen.