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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Abiding in Christ
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John 15:1,2)
God the Father has planted a Vine. He is watching over it and taking care of it.
The Vine is spiritual but its fruit is visible in the earth. The fruit of the Vine is righteousness and praise, and the fruit will appear in the sight of the nations of the earth.
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. (Isaiah 61:11)
Christ is the Vine. We Christians are the branches. God is looking for the fruit of righteousness in our lives, the fruit that is the image of His Son. The image of Christ is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. These are the characteristics of Christ and of the Kingdom of God.
As we abide in Christ His godly image begins to appear in our personality and also in the personalities of those to whom we are ministering. We are bringing forth the righteousness and praise, the godliness of the Kingdom, in our own lives and in the lives of others.
The reason God has joined us to Christ is that we may bring forth the fruit of righteousness in our lives. When the nations of the earth witness our righteous behavior they will glorify God.
God has called us to be the moral light of the world. If we do not exhibit righteousness and praise in our life, God will remove us from Christ. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away."
If the image of Christ is not revealed in our personality we stand in danger of being removed from God's Vine.
The teaching of Christ and His Apostles focused on two things: (1) gaining eternal life, which requires receiving Christ and walking in righteous behavior; and (2) salvation and rewards in the Day of the Lord, in the day when Jesus appears in the clouds of the heaven.
Little is said in the Scriptures about what happens to us when we die. Rather the emphasis is on what happens to us when the Lord Jesus returns and on living in righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God in the present world. When the Apostles of the Lamb preached salvation they were speaking of not being destroyed in the Day of the Lord.
And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. (Acts 24:25)
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; (Romans 2:5)
We would not stress this point except that it has a direct, practical bearing on how we live in the world. If we think of the Christian redemption as being a plan for escaping Hell and admitting us to Heaven when we die we do not understand the absolute necessity for abiding in Christ in our present life.
To be continued.