Abiding in Christ [2011]

Abiding in Christ

(Joh 15:7)  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

This Lord's Day we will partake of the Lord's supper as members of the Church. The Lord's Supper is ordained by Christ for our benefits. The benefits arise when firstly, we examine ourselves consciously, with regards to our original sinful state, our faith in the promise of deliverance in Christ and our sincere desire to persevere in faith and secondly when we remember his death for us and the significance thereof.  

The Lord's supper is also known as the Holy Communion because by examining and remembering Christ in this way, we have communion with him. The word 'communion" means having fellowship, or specifically it means the interchange and sharing of thoughts or in other words intimate communication between two parties. It is thus that we are strengthened as we dwell on the love of Christ for us and what he has done for us. Hence, it is incumbent for all believers to partake of the Lord's supper because the true participation of it brings benefits to our Christian life  and secondly, Christ has commanded us to do so.

The act of Communion with Christ through the Lord's Supper is only one of the ways. Christ in John 15 speaks of the general precepts of how we can maintain such communion with him by Abiding in Him and having His words abiding in us (John 15:7). Herein ,  lies the secrets of Communion with Christ, of answered prayers and fruitful labour! But what does "Abiding in Christ" mean? Though we are clear that having his words abide in us means that it stays in us fully and that means that we need to fill our thoughts and meditate on the word of Christ.  Similarly, to Abide in Christ means to stay in Christ, not having our own desire and will, confessing that we have no life apart from him and fully dependent on him. This is indeed what the picture of Christ being the Vine and his children being the branches means as in real life, the branches are fully dependent on the Vine for nourishments and life  and it has no independent life of itself. It would wither and die when separated from the Vine.

Although our mystical union in Christ is fixed and unchangeable (Eph 5:30-32), our Communion with Christ fluctuates due to our undisciplined and sinful ways. To maintain a close Communion with Christ we above all, need to abide in him and having his words abide in us (John 15:7).

In the same passage we are also reminded of two specific warnings. The first being positive while the other negative. When we abide in Christ we will bear fruit of good works in Church and we can expect pruning so that we can be more fruitful (John 15:2). This could be painful in our life as we experience pruning but the results is greater usefulness for his Kingdom.

On the other hand, we are also warned in no uncertain term that for branches that do not bear fruit, it is cut off (John 15:6) by our Father. The scripture is clear that God will not be mocked (Gal 6:7), "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap."

So let us have communion with Christ as we partake the Lord's Supper, lets be prepared for the pain of pruning by God for greater usefulness and above all lets examine ourselves if we are abiding in Christ and bearing fruit for his Kingdom lest we be cut off!