Grace For The Journey

Unless you subsist solely on fast food, you have heard of organically grown food, which is grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.  Most grocery stores stock organically grown products, which are usually more expensive.

Did you know that the statement “organically grown” also applies to the Christian?  What I mean by this is the “vital” or “spiritual” union between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Christian believer, which is best illustrated in the Gospel of John.

The Bible says in John 15:1-5, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Our Lord’s teaching on the vine and branches perfectly illustrates just how the Christian is connected to Christ.  It is organic, not mechanical or superficial.  It is a living, vital union, where the believer (the branch) has been grafted into the vine (the Lord) and finds nutrients for growth through this organic connection.

Think about it this way . . .

Just as the branches of any tree or vine

Share in the nature and life of that tree or vine,

The Christian is united with Christ by faith

And shares in His nature and life.

Jesus final words in the passage above – “Apart from Me you can do nothing” – give us the sum and substance of the life of the Christian separated from the Savior.  Any perceived growth in a Christless environment is nothing more than behavioral change.

Anyone can change behavior,

But heart transformation

Only takes place

Through union with Christ.

It is a transformation which

Not only changes behavior,

But changes the believer as well.

When Paul said, “For me to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21), he was making it clear that his union with Christ was the very life he was living.

So . . . how is your connection to Christ these days?  Are you plugged in and powering up?  Or are you somewhat disconnected and feeling a bit lethargic?  Make no mistake: staying organically connected to Omnipotence will keep you growing and producing fruit that will last all the way into glory.

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”