Death is once and done for a believer in Christ. The doorway which death opened and closed behind it exists still, but cannot be gone through backwards. Only, the present lives on, a current and resurrected existence. As we abide in the beauty of this holiness, (separated from former depravity and alive unto God in Christ), the peaceable fruit of our conjoined righteousness with Christ occurs. See, in this post-death experience, we are vitally connected to His life.
Jesus spoke to His close ones, ” I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 The metaphor is clear: Christ is the Vine and we are the branches of the vine. Abiding, however, seems a strange thought for a branch in a vine. We must explain.
Our unity is a unity of life, not just of mechanical juxtaposition. Parts of a life (say a body), cannot function independently of one another. We share the life. The abiding is first one of individual branches connecting with the main stem. Our life derives from the Head (in our case Christ). This deriving of life from the Head causes our interactions with other branches to flourish. If the deriving life from the Head is hindered, the branch withers and may be taken away.
So, in our staying connected to the source of life in the vine, that life manifests itself in His life. Love implied here, we abide in His easily identifiable love. Though we function in liberty, we do not allow a temptation to pattern our life according to our pre-death life of flesh and sin. Instead we serve one another in love.
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” Romans 12:5 and
Ephesians 4:25 “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.
“as in union with Christ their head — so to one another in love, walking in holy fellowship together, sympathizing with, and serving each other.” Gill
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us love one another. The clear way of abiding-continuance consists in a relationship, a fellowship, a friendship. First, one initiated by Our Vine, Christ Himself. Let us draw nigh to His “love at all times” and His being “born for adversity.” He sticks closer than a brother, warns and consoles. Lets us keep ourselves in the love of Christ, in it’s proximity. Let us draw nigh unto God and “forsake not the assembling together.” Let us keep love by distributing love one to another. Let us perpetuate love.
lastly, lets consider the nature of God’s love. Yes “agape” love is self sacrificing and forgiving. Grace is the vehicle in which that love is displayed. This love of God covers the multitude of sins. This love builds our brother up in who he is in his new, post death, resurrected life . We speak of mercy, we fellowship around kindness. We have compassion, we comfort one another in their losses. We are accepted in our Beloved!
In closing, “know this, that our old man has been crucified; believe that we shall live with Him. Reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God. Position your members as instruments of righteousness. Never retreat. Love ya
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