Do you believe in God? Do you feel it is important to worship Him? How much time did you spend with Him in prayer this week? Do you spend time in His word (the Bible) daily? Is serving the Lord important in your daily walk?
I can't help but cringe when I hear people say that they believe in God but they don't need to worship Him! What if you discovered just how important these things are to the one you call Lord? Would they become more important to you?
As we move closer to Easter, I ask you to consider what was on Jesus' mind as He moved closer to the cross. On Thursday of the week Jesus was nailed to the cross, He said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me." (John 15:5)
This was the seventh and last of Jesus' "I Am" statements John recorded in his gospel. Here, Jesus told us the only way the believer can make it in this world is to "live in Him."
In the same chapter, Jesus said, "I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father." (v.15)
Just imagine that! The Lord of the universe, the Son of God, the one who died for me calls me "friend." Some of us believe all of this was said on the day before Jesus was crucified. To me, that makes it all the more important that we heed Him.
Two words, "branches" and "friends," reveal both our privileges and our responsibilities as believers. By saying, "I am the vine and you are the branches," Jesus was saying: Your greatest privilege in life is sharing my life!
However, unfortunately, too often we want the privileges without recognizing our purpose and our responsibility. He makes it very clear that the purpose of a branch is to bear fruit. The Bible points out many ways that Christians can bear fruit. But these can be summed up in one word: Christlikeness. And, the only way we can grow in Christ is to meet the responsibility of a branch -- live in the true vine. That simply means that we must stay connected to Jesus.
And, when Jesus used the word "friends," He contrasted it with the word "slaves." I just give Him praise every time I think that, through His death and resurrection, Jesus has set me free from sin and death. I'm no longer a slave to sin. I am a friend to Jesus. "No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
How about that privilege? He says that the privilege of being His friend is that He lets us know His will and the will of the Father. Even more, Jesus says twice in this chapter that His friends can ask the Father whatever they want in His name. That's called prayer.
Once again, we cannot ignore the responsibility that goes along with this privilege. I know many people don't want to hear it, but the responsibility that goes along with knowing the will of the Father is obedience. Jesus said, "You are My friends if you do what I command you." (John 15:14)
A friend of Jesus willingly obeys Him.
When I became a Christian, I confessed, Jesus is Lord! How can He believe me if I don't worship, don't pray, don't study His word, and don't go to a church to which He Himself says every true believer belongs. How can I live in Him if I don't demonstrate my love for Him and for the other branches that belong to Him?
I want to ask you to read John 15 and re-evaluate your relationship to Jesus Christ. Is He your Lord? Do you spend time with Him daily -- in prayer and the Bible? Do you serve Him? Do you love His church -- His bride?
One more humbling thing Jesus said: "You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit." (John 15:16)
Not my words, but His!
