“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. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." ~ John 15:5-8
What does it mean to “remain” in Christ? Other Scriptures tell us that we must continue in Christ, endure to the end, persist, persevere, and keep on, etc. It means to last throughout a period of time. It means to keep going and to not stop. It means to survive, especially when faced with difficulties. And it means to not give up, to not back down, to not run away, and to not get lazy, complacent, or indifferent.
Yet, it is more than just hanging in there even in the toughest of times. It involves active involvement in the life of Christ being lived out in and through our lives for his purposes and for his glory. This means that we must cooperate fully with God’s work of grace in our lives, and we must yield our wills to his will, and we must willingly choose to walk daily in his ways and in his truth.
What Blessed Communion
An Original Work / July 11, 2011
Oh, what sweet and blessed communion
With our Lord is ours to share
When we sit at Jesus’ table,
Share His cup and eat the bread.
Sit at His feet, hear what He says,
Listen to each word He speaks;
Harken to obey His teachings;
Meet with Him throughout the week.
Oh, what grace he gives unto us
When we come to Him in faith;
Believe in His precious promise;
Free from our sins; saved by grace.
Turn from our sins; turn to our God;
Commit all our ways to Him.
Choose to live for Him each moment;
Daily cleansing us from sin.
Oh, what love He has for us that
He would die a cruel death,
So that we could be forgiven
Of our sins and live instead.
Walk with Jesus; serve Him only
As our Lord, God, priest and King.
Abide with Him; His word in us;
Bearing fruit, our offering.
