7.53 To “SIT”- resting on our new identity in Christ
Bearing fruit of the Spirit is not through human effort. It is not through trying hard to keep religious laws or to conform to the Christian behavior that is expected of us. Many believers try very hard but fail as the fruit of the Spirit cannot be manufactured in the flesh externally (John 15:4). It grows naturally from within when we abide in Christ, and receive within us the Life that flows from Him. Christianity is about “being” instead of “doing”.
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. The branches have the same nature as the vine. As we abide in Him, and He is us, we draw from His Life and we will bear fruit of the Spirit.
(John 15:5)
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who ABIDES in Me, and I in him, BEARS MUCH FRUIT; for without Me you can do nothing.”
The secret to abiding in Him is to live by faith in our new identity in Him. Gal 2:20 says, “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith IN THE SON OF GOD, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” We rest in His finished work and see ourselves completely in Christ, according to His Word. When we see ourselves in Christ, we are like the branch that is connected to the vine. If we are not connected to the wine, we will wither (John 15:6).
When we are connected to the vine, we will receive the life of the vine into us. Likewise, when we see ourselves in Christ, we will experience the reality of Christ living in us. Gal 2:20 says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” To have Christ abide in us is also to have His Word abide in us (John 15:5, 7). The Word supplies the Life of Christ into us (John 6:63).
To sum it up, we need to believe what His Word says about our new identity in Him and we should also keep His Word in our hearts.
Many Christians have an identity problem. This is one of the key problems in the Church today. They find their identity in Adam and still see themselves in the old sinful nature. When the saint sees himself as a sinner, he will be defeated. When the eagle sees itself as a chicken, it will not soar in the heavens.
Jesus made us holy and without blemish by His blood shed on the cross. He sees us without spot and wrinkle. He uses the Word to sanctify and wash us, so that we can also see ourselves the way that He sees us (Eph 5:25-27; John 17:17).
(Eph 5:25-27)
Christ also loved the church and GAVE HIMSELF for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, NOT HAVING SPOT OR WRINKLE or any such thing, but that she should be HOLY and WITHOUT BLEMISH.
Most Christians read this passage as something to be attained in the future. They are trying to get into the room that they are already in! They are looking around for the key that they already hold in their hands! It is already a reality. It is written in the past tense. When we believe His Word, we unleash His transforming power from within.
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. The branches have the same nature as the vine. As we abide in Him, and He is us, we draw from His Life and we will bear fruit of the Spirit.
(John 15:5)
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who ABIDES in Me, and I in him, BEARS MUCH FRUIT; for without Me you can do nothing.”
The secret to abiding in Him is to live by faith in our new identity in Him. Gal 2:20 says, “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith IN THE SON OF GOD, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” We rest in His finished work and see ourselves completely in Christ, according to His Word. When we see ourselves in Christ, we are like the branch that is connected to the vine. If we are not connected to the wine, we will wither (John 15:6).
When we are connected to the vine, we will receive the life of the vine into us. Likewise, when we see ourselves in Christ, we will experience the reality of Christ living in us. Gal 2:20 says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” To have Christ abide in us is also to have His Word abide in us (John 15:5, 7). The Word supplies the Life of Christ into us (John 6:63).
To sum it up, we need to believe what His Word says about our new identity in Him and we should also keep His Word in our hearts.
Many Christians have an identity problem. This is one of the key problems in the Church today. They find their identity in Adam and still see themselves in the old sinful nature. When the saint sees himself as a sinner, he will be defeated. When the eagle sees itself as a chicken, it will not soar in the heavens.
Jesus made us holy and without blemish by His blood shed on the cross. He sees us without spot and wrinkle. He uses the Word to sanctify and wash us, so that we can also see ourselves the way that He sees us (Eph 5:25-27; John 17:17).
(Eph 5:25-27)
Christ also loved the church and GAVE HIMSELF for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, NOT HAVING SPOT OR WRINKLE or any such thing, but that she should be HOLY and WITHOUT BLEMISH.
Most Christians read this passage as something to be attained in the future. They are trying to get into the room that they are already in! They are looking around for the key that they already hold in their hands! It is already a reality. It is written in the past tense. When we believe His Word, we unleash His transforming power from within.
posted by Joshua Lye @ 12:42 AM
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