If we pour a glass of wine into a glass of water, and mix them, the water will be in the wine, and the wine in the water. So in a like manner all that we do, while our own acts, should be manifestations of the indwelling Saviour.
The fruit we bear should be the fruit of the vine—fruit of the Spirit, and not works of the flesh. But union is not identical with abiding: union is uninterrupted, but abiding may be interrupted. If abiding be interrupted, sin follows.
If each worker realizes himself as a temple of the living God, an instrument possessed and governed and used by the Almighty, there is no place for discouragement. Before Him, the hard, dry rock shall be turned into a pool, the flint into a fountain of waters.
Communion with Christ requires our coming to Him. Meditating upon His person, and His work requires the diligent use of the means of grace, and specially the prayerful reading of His Word. Many fail to abide because they habitually fast instead of feed.
It is the peculiarity of feeding upon Christ, the spiritual food, that it is the means by which the life is received, as well as the means by which it is maintained. In this it differs from earthly food, which, while it maintains life, cannot first impart it.
The Fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and died; the manna itself was perishable food, and could only sustain a perishable life. Christ is imperishable food, and therefore the life which He imparts and sustains is eternal.
“I am the Vine.” Not any part of the vine, but the whole vine. The root is not the vine, nor is the stem, nor the branches. The vine is the whole tree—root, trunk, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit, all are included.
“If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth (is cleansing) us from all sin.” Its action is present, ever present, because there is need, constant need, that sinful creatures should be cleansed. Our highest, holiest services need cleansing. The sinful heart is kept from overt acts of sinning, but it is sinful still.
“Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not.” “These things write I unto you that ye sin not.” Formerly we were in bondage to sin, could not but sin. Now we are set free from sin’s dominion, and may and should yield ourselves wholly to Christ, and bring forth fruit to Him alone.
Union with Christ, and abiding in Christ, what do they not secure? Peace, perfect peace; rest, constant rest; answers to all our prayers; victory over all our foes; pure, holy living; ever-increasing fruitfulness. All, all of these are the glad outcome of abiding in Christ.
We are benefited by the atonement and righteousness of Christ, as imputed to us: as life, and freedom, and power; but more than this, we are made one with Him, that we may enjoy the blessings of salvation.
“Abide in Me.” Let us take special notice of the word “abide.” Sometimes it is rendered “continue,” sometimes “remain,” at others “tarry,” “dwell,” etc. The idea it conveys is of rest, rather than of labour or motion; of enjoyment of already attained position, and not of seeking, striving, journeying.
The words “Abide in Me and I in you,” pre-suppose a vital union as already existing between ourselves and the Lord Jesus, and exhort us to live in the power and enjoyment of this union.
“I am the Vine: ye are the branches.” The branch gets nothing out of the vine, it enjoys all in the vine. So we are in Chirst; are, indeed, His fruit-bearing members.
We are saved by faith, and we live by faith. Christ must dwell in our hearts by faith. The Jews were cut off because of unbelief, and we stand by faith. But we must not be occupied about our faith, but about the object of faith. Not with the laws of optics, nor with the power or construction of the eye must we be occupied, if we would enjoy a beautiful landscape; we must look at it and feast upon it.
Christ not only uses the present tense in saying, “I am the Vine,” but also uses the same tense in “Ye are the branches.” His word to us here is not, Seek for a higher Christian life, Strive for some coveted attainment, which falls to the lot of few, but, Count on what I am, and what is now your relation to Me, and just live on in the joy of it.
“I am the Vine: ye are the branches.” Here let us note our Saviour’s “I am,” “ye are.” We have not to learn how to become branches: “ye are the branches.”
We, who feed on Christ, are not abiding in Him and He in us merely when we direct our thoughts towards Him, feed on Him by faith, enjoy special communion with Him, but all day long and all night long; as much so when we are unconscious of His special presence as when conscious of it. For it is not Written “To eat is to abide”; nor yet, “While you are eating you are abiding”; but, “He who can and does eat My flesh, and drink My blood, is dwelling, abiding, in Me and I in him.”
“Abide in Me.” The little word “in” requires more than a passing notice. It is not used in the sense of within, as when the less is contained within the greater. As used in our text, it implies union with, vital connection with, identification of life with its object.
The crowning blessing of abiding in Christ is found in the assurance that, “Herein is My Father glorified,”
From the consciousness of union springs the power to abide. Let us, then—not seek, not wait, not pursue—but now accept by faith the Saviour’s word—“Ye are the branches.”
As the water in the mingled cup cannot be tasted without the flavour of the wine, so should a sweet savour of Christ pervade all that a believer is and does.
If there was more true abiding in Christ, there would be less selfish abiding at home.
Taylor, J. H. (n.d.). Hudson Taylor’s Choice Sayings: A Compilation from His Writings and Addresses (pp. 1–7). China Inland Mission; Morgan & Scott. (Public Domain)
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