Christ-Dependency
Today’s Verse:
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. ~John 15:5
From the moment we are born into this world, we are taught and ingrained with the idea of self-sufficiency. Our parents teach us how to become independent in all of our activities of daily living. However, the development of self-sufficiency and self-dependency also results in the philosophy that we are capable of doing everything on our own and that God is only needed in our life for emergencies. This morning, we want to examine an important truth of Scripture regarding our dependence upon the Lord. Jesus said, “For without me ye can do nothing.”
There is the reality.
“Without me ye can do nothing”! The honest truth is that apart from the Lord, we can do nothing. We cannot be saved without the Lord. We cannot make it through our trials and afflictions without Him. We cannot see consistent answers to prayer without the Lord. We cannot see fruit that will abound without the Lord. We cannot be overcomers in our spiritual life apart from the Lord. Doing the Lord’s work in our human effort will not attain great results. Serving God in the flesh only attains a fleshly product. The truth of Christ’s words must grip us into realizing how powerless and helpless we are without Him. We cannot compartmentalize our life and expect to see God’s power. Everything about us must be in submission to the fact that we need the Lord.
There is the relationship.
“I am the vine, ye are the branches.” Jesus makes it very simple and clear that He is the vital source for our power and productivity. He is the power source. He is the food source. He is the energizing source. No branch is self-sustaining. Once the relationship between the vine and branch is cut off, the branch will diminish in strength. It will dry up and become useless. We are helpless without Jesus, but we are also useless without Jesus. When a branch withers up, it will fall off from the vine. At that point, it is of no use other than as firewood. We must stay vitally connected in our fellowship with Christ. A deeper relationship will produce a dependable product.
There are the results.
Jesus said, “The same bringeth forth much fruit.” This is a guaranteed promise. Our results will not be one-time. Our results will not be minimal. Our results will have the potential of abounding. He said, “Much fruit.” Souls will be consistently saved. Prayers will be consistently answered. Faith opportunities will be the rule and not the exception. Healthy results are a function of a healthy relationship. His Word will abide in us. We will thrive in our relationships with others. An abiding relationship with Jesus always produces lasting results.
Let us be careful of trying to live a Christianity that is without an abiding relationship with the Lord. We are helpless and useless unless we strive for a healthy, holy, and happy relationship with Jesus. Abide deeply in His love, Lordship, and fellowship.
Have a dependent God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Jeremiah 32-34