THE GOOD NEWS COMES CLOSER

Colossians 1:27; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Acts 7:55

Introduction

Before coming to the central point in his letter to the church in Colossae saying, "Christ in you the hope of glory", Paul discussed the preeminence of Christ Jesus. He explains that "He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation … all things were created through Him and for Him ... and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross." Colossians 1:15-20 (ESV)

This sums up the divinity of Jesus Christ and for that matter His infinite ability to bring glory to humanity. The glory of God is His call on us to do a noble deed, to be a people of love, kind, bold, and joyful. The problem is that many people approach the Christian life like adorning the Christmas tree - putting beautiful spiritual gifts of glory.

Perspectives of Christianity

We dress up our lives with glorious experiences such as church commitment to services, being prayerful, giving, spiritual insight, prophesy,  good relationships, etc. All these great looks on people sometimes obscure what is really going on underneath. Adorn with all the spiritual demonstrations, our existence is cut off from the main stem and disconnected from the root system, without human detection. We can appear to be thriving, even though we are disconnected from the vine.

The Christian life is where "we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) A Christian life detached from Christ may be beautiful but in essence it is artificial, fake, and doesn't even exist. Like pendants on a Christmas tree, beautiful but does not abide in the tree it seeks to glorify.

The word "abide" is an old English word for “remain,” "hold on tight," “stay steady” and “keep position.” What it means to abide in Christ—that is, always to be resting on Him, anchored to Him, fixed in Him, drawing from Him, continually connected and in touch with Him. Abiding in Christ brings peace, joy, and love, answers to prayer, and fruitfulness in service. The abiding life is the abundant life.

The strong bond that unites the vine and the branches has to do with the sap that flows through them. For the Christian, the strong bond that keeps us steady and firm in Christ is love. 

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love." John 15:9 (ESV). Jesus goes on to explain that, keeping His commandment is an act of love. In fact, this syncs with me, when my wife listens to my words and obeys them, I see love, I sense love and I feel loved. Obedience is indeed an act of love. Jesus adds that we should love one another and that our joy may be full. He demonstrated the greatest of love by laying down His life for us, His friends, and commands us to do the same, "These things I command you, so that you will love one another." John 15:17 (ESV) 

A story is told of a farmer who was carrying farm produce on a lonely road. A man gave him a lift in his car. The farmer said, "Thank you" and got on board. He sat in the car and still had his load on his head. The driver said to the man, "Why don't you put your load down and relax."

 “Oh, no!" the farmer replied, "It’s enough that you would allow me to sit in your car—I would never ask you to carry my load too!” This is what many Christians are doing today.

They say, “Jesus, I know You can save me, forgive my sins, and give me a home in Heaven because You are the Christ, but I wouldn’t ask You to carry my load too!” They consult other mediums for traveling papers, for a successful career, for healing, for protection, etc. But Jesus is saying, My friend, “I want to abide with you. I want to carry your load and be your life.”

Remember, abiding in Christ is obedience to His commandments to the letter. "Cast all your burdens onto Jesus for He cares for you." He is ready to carry you and your load.

We can not abide in Christ without His kind of love. Love is the binding agent in Christ. Do you exhibit love to everyone? Have life experiences shut down your love doors?

Beloved in Christ, speaking about love invites us to understand that we receive love before we give love; that we are not the origin of this love, and that we are loved before we love. "That you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12 (ESV). It is an invitation to learn something the disciple often had trouble with, as we also struggle with even today in practice: to allow ourselves first to be loved by Christ - abiding in Christ, before attempting to love others which is the glorification. Love is made easy when we "Abide in my [Christ's] love." John 15:9 (ESV)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." John 15:1-2 (ESV).

There is no doubt about what Jesus said concerning the end of the age, "For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray." Matthew 24:5 (ESV) To the fake and camouflaged Christians, the vinedresser will prune you off from the main vine, church. Remember what John the Baptist says, "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." Matthew 3:10 (ESV) 

Again, Jesus cursed a fig tree that had beautiful leaves, appearing to be bearing fruit but was actually fruitless. He said, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” Mark 11:14 (ESV) True to His words, "As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots." Mark 11:20 (ESV) 

Many people are now trying to be smart with the church faking all kinds of gifts for their selfish gains. Christ the head of the church sees and knows everything. He'll curse and cut you down. "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." John 15:6 (ESV) 

Abiding in Christ for His glory

The glory here is the exhibition of the character of Christ from us as branches of the parent tree, Christ.

1. As I am "abiding" I am depicted as a fruit-bearing branch on a tree.

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples ... Abide in my love." John 15:7-9 (ESV)

2. As I am "abiding" I am depicted as a vessel, an instrument, a conduit.

"Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work." 2 Timothy 2:20-21 (ESV)

3. As I am "abiding", I allow God’s “living water” to flow through me as through a container or a serving vessel.

"For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:13 (ESV)

"Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”" John 4:13-14 (ESV)

4. As I am abiding, I am walking in the light of God’s presence.

"If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:6-7 (ESV)

"Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Conclusion

We have been called to be in Christ. God has projected the possibility of drifting away from Him, hence His call to abide in Him. Standing firm in Christ positions the Christian to wave off all desires to pull the Christian down. Let us abide in Christ for God's glory.

Shalom aleikhem...