Implications of John 15:1-11, part 2
The next two statements are ones that really jumped out at me.
Several avenues to take on this. Here's a quick one: the written word of God is what cleanses us. "Renew your minds with the washing of the word." So, jump in and get cleaned up.
But, here's another. In a sense, "the word that I have spoken to you," was, more or less, the disciples' equivalent of what we have as a Bible, which would tie into the above idea. However, when we come to faith, we often refer to this as 'new birth' or 'born again.' Ephesians 2 says we were "dead in [our] trespasses and sins...", but that "God, being rich in mercy, because His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)..." Without Christ, we are dead. The story of Lazarus connects with the idea of salvation pretty readily. "Lazarus, come forth!" What if that's a way to think of "the word that [He has] spoken to [us]?" Because that word, the command, from our Maker, to come out of death and step into life, causes us to become a "new creature," which means that "old things have passed...all things are new." We were dead. We were dirty. Now we're not. We're "the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." Not due to ourselves, of course, because, let's not forget, that our righteousness "is as filthy rags."
Thus, that word, the call that decisively transfers us from death to life, darkness to light, is most definitely a word that could be considered "cleansing." So, after realizing that Christ's word has already cleansed us, He tells us what to do: "Abide in me."
It is worthless to make efforts to "clean up our acts," for it's already been done; we simply need to do what He said....abide in Him. Amen.
Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you.Wow. Pretty amazing. "Already you are clean." How much of our lives do we spend trying to fix ourselves? We waste our time frivilously by trying to "clean up," "calm down," "straighten out," etc., when, clearly, Christ has already cleansed us.
Several avenues to take on this. Here's a quick one: the written word of God is what cleanses us. "Renew your minds with the washing of the word." So, jump in and get cleaned up.
But, here's another. In a sense, "the word that I have spoken to you," was, more or less, the disciples' equivalent of what we have as a Bible, which would tie into the above idea. However, when we come to faith, we often refer to this as 'new birth' or 'born again.' Ephesians 2 says we were "dead in [our] trespasses and sins...", but that "God, being rich in mercy, because His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)..." Without Christ, we are dead. The story of Lazarus connects with the idea of salvation pretty readily. "Lazarus, come forth!" What if that's a way to think of "the word that [He has] spoken to [us]?" Because that word, the command, from our Maker, to come out of death and step into life, causes us to become a "new creature," which means that "old things have passed...all things are new." We were dead. We were dirty. Now we're not. We're "the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." Not due to ourselves, of course, because, let's not forget, that our righteousness "is as filthy rags."
Thus, that word, the call that decisively transfers us from death to life, darkness to light, is most definitely a word that could be considered "cleansing." So, after realizing that Christ's word has already cleansed us, He tells us what to do: "Abide in me."
It is worthless to make efforts to "clean up our acts," for it's already been done; we simply need to do what He said....abide in Him. Amen.
posted by johnb. at 7:54 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home