160612 The Mind of Christ

Philippians 2:5-11 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father

One of the greatest promises in Scripture is found at the very end of the gospel of Matthew. The last words that Matthew recounted from Jesus were, “behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The promise of His presence gives us assurance of His day-to-day guidance and protection. After speaking those words Jesus’ human body ascended into heaven. He left the Holy Spirit with his disciples (John 20:22) and poured out that Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). His promise of continual presence with us should inspire us to take positive steps towards expanding the light of the gospel and pushing back the darkness of sin.

Being Christian is not just a matter of attending church on Sunday. Neither is it a matter of being faithful in prayer and Bible reading. Being Christian is having a personal relationship with Jesus Himself. The Bible tells us, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Jesus is our Lord and when we come to faith in Him by God’s grace…

We have entered into a special relationship. Let’s look at Hebrews 12:22-24. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, ²³ and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

We have not come to a legalistic religion. That legalism was witnessed to by Mount Sinai. We have not come to a rulebook instead we have come to be ruled by the love of God. The writer of Hebrews shows us that our special relationship is not with Sinai but instead with Zion. Having come to faith in Christ we have come to the heavenly Jerusalem! We have come to be part of the assembly enrolled in heaven. We have come to God who is the judge of all. We have come to a gathering of innumerable angels and all the spirits of the righteous at the end of the age. We are not looking back to Moses and the law we are looking forward with Jesus who has offered His own blood on the heavenly altar as a sacrifice for our sin. Since he has given so much for us…

We should live as He lived. Let’s look at 1 John 2:4-6.  Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵ but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶ whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

I am constantly amazed at the number of people who have no active evidence in their life of knowing Christ yet say that they know Him. They are often very adamant that they know Christ! They have been deceived into thinking that church membership or some other legalistic affiliation makes them Christian. Often people are deceived into thinking they are Christian because their parents were certainly Christian. “God has no grandchildren” is a saying that arose a few years back. Each generation must be won apart from their family or their fellowship. Alongside this quote from John we have the words of Peter, “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21) This is not some kind of “works salvation” it is a reminder that we are to live as Jesus did. It is not a matter of saying, “What would Jesus do?” It is a matter of saying, “What will Jesus do?” You see, when a person comes to faith in Christ they come to a special relationship with Him. He said he would never leave us and therefore we should not wonder what He would do if He were present! We should simply ask what He will do since he is present with us. And since we have such a special relationship…

We must learn from Him. Let’s turn to Matthew 11:28-30. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Thomas Chisholm wrote a song about this and it goes:

Living for Jesus, a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do; Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, This is the pathway of blessing for me.

Refrain:
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me; I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne; My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.

Living for Jesus Who died in my place, Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call, Follow His leading and give Him my all.

This is not a matter of earning our salvation it’s a matter of working it out on a day-to-day basis with Jesus’ as an example, teacher and guide.

Again, I’m not talking about any kind of “works” that will save us. Let me quote from

Martin Luther, “Faith is God’s work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God. It kills the Old Adam and makes us completely different people. It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn’t stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing.” Taken from, “An introduction to St. Paul’s letter to the Romans,”

Real faith always results in good works guided by the indwelling Spirit. Not works that give salvation but instead works that are done because we are saved.

Having learned from Him…

We should work together with Jesus. Let’s turn to 1 Corinthians 3:7-9. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸ He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

When we find ourselves in the position of doing a difficult job it is always good to have someone with experience, strength and commitment to work alongside us. The matter of living out the Christian life is certainly a difficult job. Often a person is presented with the gospel and encouraged to pray a simple prayer. Then they are given some kind of assurance that they’re saved. Well, let’s give this the benefit of the doubt and believe that they might be saved. This seems to be a simple process and a person might say, “Wow, that was easy!” After some period of time passes and temptations are faced, and fallen to, the person might then say, “Wow, this Christian living is really hard!” The truth is the Christian life, apart from the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit, is impossible.

Praise God we are able to see his hand in our work and know that we are being assisted by God to live the Christian life. We are not only his fellow workers but we are also God’s field where He works and His building where He lives. Instead of trying to live out the Christian life alone we should work together with Christ because

He has planned our work for us. Let’s turn to the familiar verses found in Ephesians 2:8-10.  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Verses eight and nine are often quoted in the process of presenting the gospel to the person. We are saved by grace through faith and not by our good works. But, the verse that is often left out, “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

God has done the work through Christ to give us salvation but he has also planned our work for us. The good works we were created to do will be shown to us as we walk through this life. We must remember that God has a plan and as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ…

We live in fellowship with each other and with God. Let’s turn to 1 John 1:2-4. The life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

The life of Christ that has been revealed to us gives us fellowship with each other. The life of Christ in each of us is the same as it is in all of us. I’m sure that at one time or another you have met someone and immediately you felt a kinship with them. That kinship is often recognized as a common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, we have come to Mount Zion… and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven. Today we may be gathered in a small fellowship of believers, or a relatively large one, however some day — not too far off — we will be gathered together with the multitude of believers from all the ages and all the families of the earth before the throne in heaven. Praise God…

Jesus has planned our eternal home. Let’s turn to John 14:1-3. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

As Jesus was coming to the end of His life John recalled many significant teachings that he recorded in his Gospel, chapters 14-17. He began by saying, “In my Father’s house are many rooms.” The book of Revelation presents a picture of the New Jerusalem and it is a massive structure! I find it very hard to imagine the image described in Revelation 21. Yet, we have Jesus’ promise, “I will come again and will take you to myself,”. Jesus said that He is preparing a place for us! His going into heaven in bodily form should give us assurance that He will one day bring us to be with Him. Those of us who are alive when He returns will be caught up to be with Him in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:17). We will ascend into our final home to be with Him. In fact, in writing to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul asserts that we are raised up with Him and are seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6) What a wonderful boost to our assurance! Jesus has already seated us with Him in heaven!

We have the witness of His disciples that they saw him physically ascended into the clouds. (Acts 1:9) We have the witness of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, who saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God in heaven. (Acts 7:56) We do not know where heaven is but one thing we can be sure it is where Jesus is today!

As we serve the Lord, out of love for Him, the world we live in will change for the better. Let me remind you that God does not need us in the same way that we need Him. Remember, we can do nothing without Him just as a branch has no life without the vine we only have life as we draw it from Him. Have you surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus Christ? Today can be your day of salvation!

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

160605 Our Life in Christ (4)

John 15:1-11 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ 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. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Everything we do is affected by our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Vine and we are the branches. The branches can do absolutely nothing alone — except wither and fade away — because the life is in the vine not the branches. If we go through the New Testament and look at all the references to what is done “in Christ”, or “in the Lord”, we are overwhelmed by the repetition of the concept. Paul wrote that he spoke the truth “in Christ” (Romans 9:1); he said that he is proud of his work “in Christ” (Romans 15:17); he reminds the Corinthians of his ways “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:17); he rejoices greatly “in the Lord” (Philippians 4:10)… And the list goes on and on.

Before a person comes to faith in Christ he or she draws their spiritual condition from Adam, ruled by Satan. When a person comes to faith in Christ they are grafted into a new vine and root. Hallelujah…

Jesus is the vine and the root. Let’s look in John 5:19. So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” When Jesus was on earth he drew his strength and direction from the Father. According to Jesus’ own words he could do “nothing” on his own. Just as a branch can do nothing without the vine, or the tree trunk, to supply life. So that Jesus set an example for us to live by. It is very important that we recognize that, on earth, Jesus only did what the Father told him to do. And when the Father told him to do something the Father also empowered him for the task. So looking at John 20:21.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” In the same way that the Father sent Jesus while he was on earth, Jesus now sends us. So that whatever he calls us to do he empowers us to do. He is the Vine that provides strength, stability and life! We are the branches that need His strength and His stability and above all else His life! Since we are sent into the world just as he was we also operate in the same strength that he did. We will learn more about this later. In the meantime…

Our heavenly Father is the vinedresser. Let’s look to John 6:43-45. Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. ⁴⁴ No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me”.

Since the Vinedresser is our Heavenly Father we can expect that he has responsibilities as to the spiritual life that we draw from His Son. The heavenly Farmer who takes care of us enables us to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him, or her. And, in the same way, no one can come to the Father except through Jesus.

The Lord Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He is the vine…

We are the branches.

The branch has no strength in itself. Only as it draws life from the vine and the roots does it have the ability to produce fruit. We know that we were called to bear fruit. Many years ago I remember hearing Peter Lord tell about an experience with grafting. He wanted to teach his people how the branch and the vine really works. He had a man in his church who routinely grafted fruit trees. Peter asked the man to come with a couple of plants to demonstrate the process of taking a cutting from one tree and grafting it into the other. Quite a long time after that the farmer asked Peter to come to his house. Took him out in the backyard and showed him a very nice orange tree. Then he told him that this was one of the trees grafted that day at church. Then he showed him a single branch, with leaves on it, in a small pot. He told Peter that that was the other graft. The difference between the two was simple! One of them had limited nourishment and no growth the other had unlimited life and grew normally and produced fruit.

Peter asked if he could have the branch in the pot. He had several speaking opportunities and he took this little branch with him. In fact, it was the carry on when he flew. He used it to demonstrate how even though life was present the branch was not producing because it was not nourished. He began to worry about even keeping it alive the way he was taking it around the country. He watered it and added a little Miracle Grow. In a fairly short time, with this new nourishment, his little branch produced orange blossoms followed by oranges!

Even with the limited root structure that it had the life within struggled to produce fruit. Thank God we are not rooted in some kind of religious order that has no life…

We are to be rooted in the Lord. Listen while I read Colossians 2:6-7. Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Yes, we are not in some limited root-bound pot! We are, instead, rooted in the Vine who is the Lord Jesus Christ! When a person comes to faith in Christ he or she immediately is able to begin producing fruit. As we grow in grace and the knowledge the Lord our roots dig deep into the word of God and the true Sonshine gives us warmth and nourishment. We soon come to the place where having been rooted and built up in Christ we are established in the faith and are able to bear fruit. The Lord Jesus wants us to know that…

We are meant to bear fruit. Listen while I read from the Sermon on the Mount Matthew 7:15-20. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by their fruits,”

We were not called to be judges — we have been called to be “Fruit Inspectors”! The responsibility of a child of God is to bear fruit. We are to abide in Jesus just as a branch, having been grafted into a vine, draws its strength from the root of the vine we draw our strength from our Vine! Jesus has instructed us to expect sap to flow from the root through the Vine to us as the branches. I’m not sure about you but I kind of like the idea that my spiritual nourishment comes from “sap” that flows from Jesus. If, while he was on earth, Jesus could indeed do nothing without the Father I certainly can do nothing without Jesus. I’ve gone through periods in my lifetime when I have been spiritually root-bound. I do not always recognize the condition when it comes upon me. It’s so easy to get caught up in day to day activities and fail to meet the basic requirement of life which is “bear fruit”. Remember it’s…

Not just fruit — much fruit. Looking back to John 14:12-14. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

Many times I have considered this passage of Scripture with amazement! Jesus himself said that those who believe in Him will do what he did. And I think about it, “What did he do?” Naturally my mind goes to the things that he appeared to do on earth. He turned the water into wine! Jesus made the blind see and the lame walk! He even raised the dead! And now I hear Him saying “whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do” and my mind reels as I consider how much I do believe in Him. Then I remember he said, “the Son can do nothing of his own accord.” And I add to that, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Then I rejoice in the Lord! He could do nothing without the Father and we can do nothing without Him.

Oh how we are tricked into believing that we are doing something for God. I can assure you that God does not need us to do His work. He is all-powerful and can arrange for anything He wants done to be done. But he has graciously allowed us to participate in his process of fulfilling the Great Commission!

I do not believe that Jesus intended us to accept the idea that our large organizations were somehow an answer to his prophecy of “greater works”. I believe the greater works have to do with carrying the gospel to every village on earth. One day there will be a gathering beyond our ability to count. A great multitude in heaven worshiping the living Lord Jesus. They will be crying out “Hallelujah” and worshiping as they prepare for The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. (Revelation 19)

Remember the two trees? The one that was allowed to grow to maturity under normal circumstances and produced fruit — much fruit. The tree that was kept in a pot without adequate soil and nutrition had life but no fruit.

All of us should desire to produce fruit to the glory of God. I am not concerned about the size of our church I am concerned about the depth of our roots and the nutrition we receive from the Sonshine of His love. Without a doubt, if we will let Him release His life through us then we will see “much fruit” in our lives, our families and our church.

When Jesus told His disciples that He was sending them as the Father had sent Him, He followed that up with these words, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” He did not in any way expect his disciples — or us — to operate in our own power and under our own direction. He wanted his disciples to know that the power that he had operated under was given to them as well. Some 50 days later, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit fell on the church and 120 disciples shared the good news of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and there was added that day 3000 baptized believers.

For your information that was not a difficult task. Peter was preaching to the thousands gathered for the feast of Pentecost and they were in the Temple Courtyard. Just outside the temple gates there was a collection of rooms with Mikvah in them. A mikvah is not unlike our baptistery. On approaching the Temple a person would go into this mikvah and immerse themselves in a symbolic ceremony of cleansing. Then they would go up to the Temple to worship God. Since there were 120 believers that day telling the good news to those all around them, in their own language, if everyone participated in the baptisms that would only be 25 for each disciple. We are not told how it was done but it seems simple to me. A couple of times in my life I have been graciously allowed to baptize about that many people at once. One such ceremony was in Mississippi while we were in college and another was soon after arriving here and the baptisms were in the pond at Hait’s farm in Jefferson. We want to be like the tree planted in the ground.

We want to bear much fruit. In Christ we have everything we need.

Our maturity is in Christ. Let’s turn to Colossians 1:27-28. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

When Jesus spoke of abiding in Him as a requirement of bearing fruit He was also promising to give us the power to live the life of a Christian. Paul told the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). The test that determines whether someone is a Christian is “Christ in you”. God’s plan — shaped by His infinite wisdom — that had been hidden for generations was now revealed. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

There is a very real, personal, dwelling of Christ in us. I am not talking about our simply agreeing with Him or that His ideas are in us. Rather, He is in us! Jesus remains in us and through faith we are rooted and grounded in Him. We must not neglect the spiritual strength that flows from those roots and that ground. We have nothing to boast about except “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

This indwelling of Christ reminds us to respond to those in need because whatever we do for a Christian brother, or sister, we do for Christ. As we keep his commandments we show that he is in us.

Everything, and I mean everything, in our lives is affected by our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ! And when we live our life in Christ as branches attached to the vine we will bear much fruit. Because God’s purpose in all believers is that we become one body “in Christ”. (Romans 12:5). By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — the church (1 Corinthians 12:13). When we are born again by the Spirit of God we are then united with Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Is he your Lord? Today can be your day of salvation.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.