God’s Word is Personal

“Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.”  John 15:4

When Jesus died on the cross, He did not die for a group of people, not for Jews only, or Gentiles, not for white folks or black folks or folks of any other color, race, or culture, not for men only or women only.  He died for the individual regardless of his or her status in life.  God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) which means that He doesn’t favor any person over another.  He did call Israel His chosen people, but they were to share the knowledge of Him before the world in order to influence other nations to believe in Him as well.  They failed at this and took God for granted, becoming arrogant and idolatrous and paid a heavy price for their disobedience.  Gentiles, everyone other than the Jews, were always in God’s plan for redemption.

When God looks on an individual, He looks on the heart and either sees one who loves Him and is committed to live for Christ, one who isn’t a believer but is searching for truth, or one whom He foreknows will never repent and receive Christ, but He loves them all individually.  God does not discriminate.  Even those who spend eternity in hell go there by their own actions, or rather by their inaction to repent and believe on Christ.  His plan of salvation is open to all people who are seen through the lens of Christ’s work on the cross and by each individual’s response to Him.

Those who have committed to live their lives for Christ have certain criteria that sets them apart from the unbelievers and for the purpose of separating themselves out from the rest of the unbelieving world.  Each of these requirements is not for salvation but because one has been saved and desires to follow Christ in sincerity and truth.  The following is a partial “checklist” to measure our commitment to Christ.

1.)  Jesus said that those who follow Him are to deny themselves (Matthew 16:24), to put Him first.  We are to forego desires that are selfish and efforts at making a name for ourselves.  Instead, we are to put others needs ahead of our own and serve Christ in whatever capacity He has given to us.  We are to deny ourselves the pleasures of sin, not pleasures that God has allowed us to have as humans, but we are to be dead to sin (Romans 6:2).  In its simplest form, denying ourselves is to get ourselves off of our minds and let Christ control our thoughts and actions.  2.)  We are to take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).  A cross represents what we are likely to bear because we are a follower of Christ.  Whatever trials and persecutions we suffer for Christ serve to make us stronger and more mature in the faith.  Taking up our cross involves a desire to be like Jesus.

3.)  We are to love Jesus more than our parents, spouse, and children (Matthew 10:37).  Think about how much we love our families and would do anything for them.  We would stand in defense of them and would die in their place if possible.  Would we not love someone greatly who took a bullet for us?  If we love that person, should we not love Jesus even more for paying the penalty of our sin, giving us an abundant life on earth, and a home in heaven?  4.)  As believers in Christ, we are to keep His words (John 14:23).  We will live by them, make our decisions by them, and tell others about Jesus’ words of life.  5.)  We will abide in Christ, that is, we will reside in and submit to Him.  Wherever we go, Jesus goes.  Whatever conversation we have with another person, Jesus can speak through us if we will let Him.  If we sin, Jesus doesn’t sin, but He surely is disappointed and maybe ashamed of our behavior since He is within us, and whatever we do or say reflects on Him.  What we look at, He sees.  What we listen to, He hears.  When faced with adversity, He helps us by way of the Holy Spirit to cross those bridges and persevere in trials.

Jesus said that we can’t do anything without Him.  He is the Vine, and we are the branches on which the fruit grows.  If we are to make a difference in this sin-cursed world among those who are lost in sin, we must be nourished by the Vine because it is only through Christ that an individual can survive and flourish.  God’s word is personal.  He wrote this book, the Bible, with you and I in mind.  He has no ulterior motive other than to convince us that the only way to live is through Christ, to abide in Him, and allow Him to be our Lord and Savior.