Making Ourselves at Home in God's Love {John 15}

Just think of it.  All of this life giving sap comes from one source alone:  Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.  All who feast on this sap will be taken care of forever by the Father-Farmer.  The true church of God will never be destroyed.  The gates of hell will not prevail against His Bride.

 

We, the church, have one primary role, knowing that there is only one thing that we can offer such a life-giving King:  our allegiance that has been birthed out of love.  With love comes devotion and with devotion comes obedience.  The secret to it all is found in the word abide.

 

The Greek would say, “meno,” which means to stay in a given place, to continue, to dwell, or to remain.  Father-Farmer offers His life giving sap through his only Son and all He asks is that we continue to swim in it.  Don’t deprive ourselves from it.  Enjoy it. Make ourselves at home in it.

 

We abide and Father-Farmer produces rich fruit that points back to His glory. There is no fruit in and of ourselves.  The whole point is that once separated from the vine, we can do nothing.

 

Father-Farmer likes it this way.  Giving is His way. We simply can’t steal His glory by thinking we can give out to others from our own barrenness. 

 

As we abide in this grace-love, we allow Christ’s words to abide in us.  We permit these teachings to stay, continue, dwell, and remain in the rich soil of our souls. These spoken words of the Son will take root, allowing seeds to sprout, and green stalks to rise.  Fruit will take shape and ripen. We pluck a piece right off and share it with others.  As the sweet juice runs down our chins, we throw our heads back in laughter, realizing how it tastes just like the Father-Farmer and His joyful banner of love.

 

We taste.  We see.  He is good.

 

We decide to make ourselves at home right here in God’s love. 

 

“Keep thou close to thy soul’s Husband, lean thy head upon His bosom, ask to be refreshed with the spiced wine of His pomegranate, and thou shalt be found of Him at the last, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.”

 Charles Spurgeon