The Blessings of Abiding in Christ, Part 2

2. Sanctification

they bear fruit

​ ESV4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

both kinds of branches experience the knife of the vinedresser no one who is attached to Christ escapes the knife!the fruit bearing branches are prunedthe non-fruit bearing branches are removedhow he uses his knife is determined by the presence or lack of fruit fruit bearing branches are pruned so that they bear more fruitanything that would reduce their spiritual energy, hindering their ability to bear fruit the vinedresser cuts awaythe Father is directly and actively involved in the lives of true believers to make them more fruitful

​ ESV1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

our Father cuts away the sin in our lives our Father cuts away the time wasting things we focus on which keep us from the work we should be doinghe does this through his word and through trials, suffering and persecution every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.although they are bearing fruit the Father knows they are capable of much much more!knowing this he prunes themhe takes his knife and removes whatever is hindering the formation of more fruitwhat is his knife?a combination of his word and troubles and trialstroubles and trials expose the problem and the word is the knife that cuts it awaythrough the Word the HS deals with usthere are also some spiritual fruits that are only produced as the result of sorrow and suffering

​ ESV7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

His word is the knife

​ ESV12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

the purpose of the knife/word: discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heartwhen we read and study our bibles with a submissive spirit the HS points out those areas of our minds and hearts that grieve himthe Father is most concerned about our motives and desiresman looks on the outward but God on the heartnothing is hidden from him that our sufferings and the Word of God are intimately connected is clearly taught in the scriptures:

​ ESV67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.

​ ESV71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.

​ ESV12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law,

​ ESV16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

it the midst of our troubles and trials the true Christian can rejoice because he knows the Father knows all things and sovereignly controls all of the circumstances of our lives

​ ESV28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

what kind of fruit is the Father looking for?fruit is too often confused with external religious actsgoing to church regularly, Sunday righteousness, eloquence in prayer, long prayers, regular givingoften times associated with what you don’t dothe problem with using these as measuring sticks is that deceivers, hypocrites, false teachers and cults promote all these thingsnowhere does the bible equate these external behaviours alone with the kind of fruit that the Father is looking forlisten to Paul’s reminder to the Galatians of the fruit the Father is looking for

​ ESV22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

these fruits, in some measure, mark all who are truly joined to Christwhen behaviours flow out of these inner qualities they are pleasing to Godremember though, this is not about perfection but about direction what the NT says about fruit:

​ ESV7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

the Pharisees refused John’s baptism because they thought themselves righteousthey presumed that because they were descendants of Abraham that they were good with GodJohn’s exhortation: bear fruit in keeping with repentance tells us that true repentance produces the only fruit that is acceptable to Godhumility before God, confession of sin, acknowledging he is right in all his judgments bearing much fruit is connected with hearing and accepting the word

​ ESV20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

​ ESV15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

only those who are in Christ can bear fruit

​ ESV4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

good works that flow out of the desire to please Christ

​ ESV10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

how a believer walks in obedience to the Lord:bears fruit in every good workcontinually increasing in the knowledge of Godknowledge should always lead to practical obedience

​ ESV17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

compare with

3. They Abide in Christ

​ ESV4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

​ ESV5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

​ ESV6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

​ ESV7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

​ ESV9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

​ ESV10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

abide = remain or continuethose who abide in Christ’s love remain in Christdefined in v.4 as “in me and I in you” = a relationshipa back and forth communion/fellowship which produces spiritual life and vitality and fruitdefined in v.5 as “bearing much fruit”defined in v.7 as “my words abiding in you”defined in v.10 as keeping “my commandments”those who abide continue with Christ bear much fruit, have Christ’s words in them and keep his commandmentslessons from the Parable of the Soilsshallow soil: when persecution those who abide endure suffering with joy weedy soil: when tempted by the allurements of the world they refuse to love the world or the things of the worldtthey do not leave Christ for the approval of the world

​ ESV19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

​ ESV14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

​ ESV4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

example of Judas who did not remaindo not be like Judas, who, for the love of money, did not abide with the Lord Jesus Christexample of Demas in ,abandoned Paul and his ministry team because of his love for the world

4. They Keep Christ’s Commandments

they live their lives serving their Lord Jesus Christthey follow Jesus’ example who always obeyed the Father

​ ESV10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

Jesus’ teaching in , ,