Grafted Into Christ

 

  

John 15:1-8

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. NIV Bible Gateway.com

   A vinedresser plants and tends his vines for the purpose of seeing them produce grapes. God, as our vinedresser, encourages us to bear spiritual fruit. He wants us to have a character like that of Christ - marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Our Father wants to ensure that believers will be fruitful; for this reason, they are removed from the dead tree of humanity and grafted onto the living vine, Jesus Christ.
   After His baptism, Jesus was "full of the Holy Spirit," who led Him to the next step (Luke 4:1). Christ's life and ministry were the result of the Spirit's empowerment, and when we become believers, God sends the very same Helper to indwell us. In the language of vineyards, the sap from the vine flows into a grafted branch, giving it life and the capacity to grow the kind of fruit typical of that plant. The branch and the vine become one life. The Living Bible translation says, "Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him" ( Col. 2:7).
    Some people run away from the Christian life because they think they cannot do it. And they're right: They cannot, but the Holy Spirit can. When we are one with Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God lives His life through us. That doesn't mean we are free from responsibility - the Spirit can do His work only as we wisely choose to yield to Him. When we are obediently following the Lord, our joy and peace are not dependent upon circumstances; the One in whom we are rooted is our joy and peace.
Stanley, Charles F. "Grafted Into Christ." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living August 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 36. 

 

 

"The Way of Holiness" by Stephen F. Olford review

 The Way of Holiness by Stephen F. Olford

  “To the glory of God, I now know that ‘there is no demand made on my life, which is not a demand on the life of Christ in me.’ The Lord Jesus Christ is totally adequate. It is not Jesus plus; it is Jesus period! Everything is in Jesus, and Jesus is everything! We must go and tell a church of defeated Christians that there is victory in Jesus! The Highway of Holiness is mapped out for every one of us, and the signposts are clearly visible. Let us tread the pathway with disciplined obedience ‘til we see our Savior face to face. Paul, the apostle, said it long ago: ‘As you have…received Christ Jesus the Lord, SO WALK IN HIM’ (Col. 2:6)”

This is the last paragraph from the author, Stephen F. Olford.

The Signpost of Christ-Centeredness

Galatians 2:20-3:7

  “The greatest moment in my life was when I discovered that God expects nothing more or less of Stephen Olford than abject failure! And, even more importantly, only one Person can live the Christian life, and that is Christ Himself; and only as I trust Him to live His life in me, can I possibly live the quality of life that satisfies the heart of God and challenges the world in which I witness…”

   Dr. Olford goes on to write about the termination of the self-life,…

Oh, to be saved from myself, dear Lord,

Oh, to be lost in Thee;

Oh, that it may be no more I,

But Christ that lives in me.

A.A. Whiddington

and  the substitution of the Christ-life,…

Moment by moment I’m kept in His love,

Moment by moment I’ve life from above;

Looking to Jesus till glory does shine,

Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

Daniel W. Whittle

   ‘Without me,’ said Jesus, ‘you can do nothing’ (John 15:5). But by His indwelling, through the power of the Holy Spirit, He is adequate. Only one Person in the whole world lived the Christian life, and that was Jesus. There is only one Person who can live the Christian life now, and that is Jesus. Therefore, exchange all your strivings and defeats in the flesh for His life in you. Make your motto and motivation, ‘not I, but Christ.’ This is Christ-centeredness!”

At the end of each section there are questions for further study. A few of the questions for this section are:

•   Who alone can live the Christian life? How does that truth affect your efforts to live as a Christian? Be practical and specific.
•   In what sense did you die with Christ on the cross? How does this fact affect the way you approach temptations? (see Rom. 6:11)
•   What are some characteristics of the new life we have in Christ? (See 2 Peter 1:4; Heb. 12:14; Rom. 8:37.) How do we get these qualities?
•   How do we appropriate the Christ-life? (See Gal. 2:20) How does this work? If you can, give an example from your own life.

Other Signposts to Guide Us included in this book are:

•   The Signpost of SinfulnesS
• James 4:13-17, Galatians 5:16:23
•   The Signpost of Forgiveness
•  1 John 1:5-2:2
•   The Signpost of Holiness
• 1 Peter 1:13-15
•   The Signpost of Yieldedness
• Romans 14:1-12
•   The Signpost of Spirit-fullness
• Ephesians 5:15-21
•   The Signpost of Usefulness
• John 9:1-7
•   The Signpost of Readiness  
• Luke 21:20-36