The True Vine (4)

The branch has but one object for which it exists, one purpose to which it is entirely given up. That is, to bear the fruit the vine wishes to bring forth. And so the believer has but one reason for his being a branch—but one reason for his existence on earth —that the heavenly Vine may through him bring forth His fruit. Happy the soul that knows this, that has consented to it, and that says, I have been redeemed and I live for one thing—as exclusively as the natural branch exists only to bring forth fruit, I too; as exclusively as the heavenly Vine exists to bring forth fruit, I too. As I have been planted by God into Christ, I have wholly given myself to bear the fruit the Vine desires to bring forth. (Day 3, The True Vine, by Andrew Murray - public domain).

I am struck by the Christ-centeredness of Murray’s writing; it is in stark contrast to our contemporary norm - which is preaching and teaching centered on us. Murray uses terms of absolute surrender and dedication to Jesus Christ; we don’t typically hear this language today.

There is nothing more “practical” than learning to abide in the Vine, nothing that will have greater impact on our lives, nothing that will make a more significant difference in the lives of those around us. Perhaps we have sunk into the abyss of moralism and self-improvement and motivational living and living to be successful to the point where Murray’s language is difficult to relate to. But are we not called to surrender our lives to Jesus Christ? Are we not called to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him? (Mark 8:34 - 38). Are we not called to live wholly and completely for Jesus Christ?

As Paul reminds us, we are no longer our own, we have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19 - 20). We are to truly live for one thing, one Person, Jesus Christ - and in Him we will find other relationships, other callings, other facets of life - but our life and our purpose are to be Jesus first and last; all of life must stand in relation to Jesus Christ.

Yes, this is radical. Sadly what was once radical in the eyes of the world has now become radical in the eyes of much of the professing church...at least in the West. We have so lowered the Gospel bar, we have so sought accomodation with the world, that in becoming “seeker sensitive” we have lost our sensitivity to the Christ of the Cross and the Cross of Christ. Would the NT and Early Church recognize our preaching and practices as the Gospel?

One of the prices we pay for our current situation is that we rob believers of the joy of knowing intimacy with Jesus Christ, of the joy of abiding in the Vine as a way of life. But O the joy of living for Jesus, in Jesus, unto Jesus - for the joy of breathing Jesus as our life, for following Jesus as our way, as knowing Jesus as our truth. When Jesus is our truth then only that which is grounded in Him is true and we need not rationalize other teachings, other ways of living, we need not accommodate ourselves to anything other than the truth of Jesus.

When this life on earth is over we will only have Jesus - why not only have Jesus now? When we only have Jesus we have others, when we only have Jesus we have eternal purpose, when we only have Jesus we experience the restoration of the image of God in our lives.

Why not only have Jesus now?