GOD’S WORD FOR APRIL 23 ~ ~ 1John 5:4 ~ ~ “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
We’re finishing chapter 5 in the classic book by Andrew Murray, “Abide in Christ.”
And if you ask what exactly it is that you now have to believe so that you may abide in Him, the answer is not difficult. Believe first of all what He said:
“I am the vine” (John 15:5).
The safety and the fruitfulness of the branch depend upon the strength of the vine. Do not think so much of yourself as a branch, nor of the abiding as your duty, until you have first had your soul filled with the faith of what Christ as the Vine is., He really will be to you all that a vine can be –holding you fast, nourishing you, and making Himself every moment responsible for your growth and your fruit.
Take time to know, set yourself heartily to believe:
“My Vine, on who I can depend for all I need, is Christ.”
A large, strong vine bears the feeble branch and holds it more than the branch holds the vine. Ask the Father by the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what a glorious, loving, mighty Christ this is, in whom you have your place and your life; it is the faith in what Christ is, more than anything else, that will keep you abiding in Him. A soul filled with large thoughts of the Vine will be a strong branch and will abide confidently in Him. Be much occupied with Jesus, and believe much in Him as the True Vine.
Then, when faith can well say, “He is my Vine,” let it further say “I am His branch; I am in Him.” I speak to those who say they are Christ’s disciples, and on them, I cannot too earnestly press the importance of exercising their faith in saying “I am in Him.” It makes the abiding so simple. If I realize clearly as I meditate that now I am in Him, I see at once that there is nothing lacking except just my consent to be what He has made me, to remain where He has placed me. I am in Christ; this simple thought, carefully, prayerfully, believingly uttered, removes all difficulty as if there were great attainment to be reached. No, I am in Christ, my blessed Savior. His love has prepared a home for me with Himself when He says, “Abide in my love.” And His power has undertaken to keep the door and to keep me in, if I will but consent. I am in Christ. I have now but to say “Savior, I bless You for this wondrous grace. I consent; I yield myself to your gracious keeping. I do abide in You.”
It is the faith that continually closes its eyes to the weakness of the creature and finds its joy in the sufficiency of an Almighty Savior that makes the soul strong and glad. It gives itself up to be led by the Holy Spirit into an ever deeper appreciation of that wonderful Savior who God has given us – the Infinite Immanuel — in accordance with the promise, “if that which you have heard from the beginning shall abide in you, you shall abide in the Son and in the Father” (1 John 2:24). It lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). So it makes the soul strong with the strength of God to be and to do all that is needed for abiding in Christ.
Believe now. Believe always.