When we read that "all flesh is grass," (Isaiah 40:6) we must not fail to couple with that statement the words of Christ, which show that the lilies of the field are included in the classification. (Matthew 6:28-30) The righteous are also often called trees. (Isaiah 61:3; Psalm 1:3) These things teach us that from everything that grows out of the ground we are to learn something concerning our life in Christ. Jesus says: "I am the true Vine." (John 15:1)
This was a part of the last instruction that He gave to His disciples before He was crucified. He had told them that in eating the bread they were eating His body; the supper was over, and the closing hymn had been sung; and now they were on their way to the garden, or possibly were in the garden itself. (Matthew 26:26-36)
A vine growing in the garden by the side of the path as they walked, would easily and naturally serve to give point to the Saviour's words. They had just drank of the fruit of the vine; here was one growing before their eyes, such as they had seen thousands of times. How many times we have seen the vine growing. What is it? It is a vine, nothing more; its object is to bear fruit for the service of man; that is the end of the matter.
Oh, no; that is only the beginning; that is not the real vine; it is only an object lesson. Jesus says, "I am the true Vine." (John 15:1)
These vines that we see growing are designed to teach us lessons of Christ and of Christian living. If we have seen them, and eaten of them, and have not learned these lessons, our seeing and eating have been in vain. God's purpose for us is that we should bear fruit. Jesus says, "I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. ... Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit." (John 15:16,8)
We are to bear much fruit, and the fruit is not to be unsound, and wither, but is to remain. The nature of the fruit to be borne is described: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance." (Galatians 5:22-23)
And these fruits are, like the fruit of all trees, to come from within, and not to be put on from the outside: "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:11)
The fruit, being in us, is to be brought forth, and thus will God be glorified. We see, therefore, that although the fruit is to come from within, as we are full of it, it is not the product of our own life, but of the Spirit of God, so that the praise and glory are all due to Him. But how are we to bear these fruits of righteousness, since "in us, that is, in our flesh, dwells no good thing?" (Romans 7:18)
Ah, they are the fruits of the Spirit, whom the Lord has given to us, that He may abide with us for ever. "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever." (John 14:16)
The Spirit is the bond of union between me and Christ. The Holy Spirit is "the Spirit of adoption," (Romans 8:15) showing us to be children of God, "heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ." (Romans 8:17)
We need not question how the Spirit can dwell in us, for that does not concern us. All we have to do is to yield our assent; He who has the work to do will attend to it himself. The mystery of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the unsolvable mystery of the self-existence of God, and of the incarnation of Christ. It is enough for us to know the fact. Read again the words of the Saviour: "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He that abides in me, and Iin him, the same brings forth much fruit; for severed from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5-6,margin)
The branch bears fruit because it shares the life of the vine. There is no difference between the vine and its branches. They have one life. As is the vine, so are the branches. "If the root be holy, so are the branches." (Romans 11:16)
The life of the vine is the sap. That is the blood of the vine or the tree. The same sap that nourishes the vine, goes out to the uttermost branch, so long as the branch remains a part of the vine. Jesus says, "As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eats me, even he shall live by me." (John 6:57)
He whom God has sent receives the Spirit without measure, (John 3:34) and, "The Spirit is life because of righteousness." (Romans 8:10)
The life of Christ, therefore, is the Holy Spirit of God, and the life of those who live by Him is that same Holy Spirit. What the sap is to the vine and its branches, which we see, that the Holy Spirit is to Christ and those who are in Him.
Now let no one lose sight of the object of this study. It is not vain curiosity, and therefore we have not indulged in any speculations. We have held strictly to the text of Scripture. The lesson that we are to learn is the possibility and the reality of the Spirit's dwelling in us and producing in us the same fruits that manifested themselves in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
We are familiar with the fact that sap circulates through the vine and its branches, and produces fruit; what the Lord would teach us is that through faith in His Word we have just as real and intimate a connection with Him as the branch of the grape vine has with the vine itself. The Spirit of God, the life of Christ, can pass from Christ to us as freely and as constantly as the sap does from the root and the stock to the outermost branches, and this is the case so long as we by faith maintain the connection. Is there not life in the very thought?
This is what the Apostle speaks of when he says that by the exceeding great and precious promises of God we are made partakers of the Divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4) We do not become partakers of the Divine nature by an occasional look at the exceeding great and precious promises, but by a continual feeding on them. The life of faith must be as continuous as the natural life, which comes by eating and breathing. It is not by occasional breathing that we live; even so it is not by occasional thoughts of God and His promises that we live the Divine life.
But when the faith is constant and steadfast, the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, must follow as naturally as do the works of sin when we are out of Christ. The Divine nature is not less active and powerful than the carnal nature. Therefore when we are partakers of the Divine nature, it must be as natural to do right as it is to do wrong when we are controlled by the carnal nature. "As you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (Romans 6:19-22)
The one necessary condition is by living faith to abide in the true Vine. There is infinite power in the Word of God. By it we are made clean. (John 15:3) Here is infinite comfort and encouragement for the believer. The way of life is not hard, but easy. Jesus says, "My yoke is easy." (Matthew 11:30)
It is the way of the transgressor that is hard. "Good understanding gives favor: but the way of transgressors is hard." (Proverbs 13:15)
The Lord in His infinite mercy has made it as easy to do right as to do wrong, provided we trust Him absolutely; yea, far easier, inasmuch as His power is infinitely greater than all the power of sin. Well may this be spoken of as a "great salvation." (Hebrews 2:3)
We do not need to know the how, but the fact is ever before us in the fruit-bearing vine and trees. Christ is not only the true Vine; He is a tree of life, since He is the wisdom of God. (Proverbs 3:13-18) "I [Christ] am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys." (Song of Solomon 2:1) "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow." (Matthew 6:28) "[Israel] shall grow as the lily." (Hosea 14:5)
Growth means flower and fruit, so we have it, "[He] shall blossom as the lily." (Hosea 14:5,margin) "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels. For as the earth brings forth her bud, and as the garden causesthe things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." (Isaiah 61:10-11)
Just as the lily is clothed with beauty, even so will those who trust in the Lord be clothed with righteousness. Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like a lily. (Matthew 6:29) His magnificent clothing was wrought by man, and put on from the outside. It was no part of himself, and when it was taken off, as it had to be, he had no more glory than the humblest peasant.
But the beauteous clothing of the lily comes from within. It is wrought by God, and not by man. Although the work of God, and the lily's own work, yet it is a part of the lily itself. It belongs to it, and cannot be laid aside without the destruction of the lily.
Even so shall it be with those who trust the Lord. He will clothe them with the beautiful garments of righteousness in just the same way that He clothes the lily.
This is the Christian's assurance not only of the life to come, but also of all that he needs for this life. For He who does that which is greatest will also do that which is least. "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)
"All things" leaves nothing out. In accepting Christ, the believer receives all things that pertain to life and godliness. He receives everything that he can possibly need in time and in eternity. "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." (1 Timothy 4:8) "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15)--Present Truth, October 6, 1898.