Abide in Christ — Bearing the Nature of the Vine
We have been looking at the miracle of God’s grace that makes us partakers of the richness and blessing of Jesus Christ. We are given several word pictures that reveal the potential that God has given us in Christ.
This has been described as our being built upon a sure foundation.
When your life is built on this sure foundation, you will not be shaken or in panic. The temple of God is established upon this foundation.
We are told that we are part of the body of Christ that has many parts and Jesus Christ is the head.
Although we all are different members, we are partakers of one body in Christ. From Him, we are joined together and supplied with everything that supports, produces growth and builds us up in love. As the Head of the body, Jesus is working mightily in you.
He is the Vine and we are branches.
He is the Root and we are grafted in branches.
Listen to what Romans 11 says.
Romans 11:16 NIV84 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
Romans 11:17 NIV84 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,
Romans 11:18 NIV84 Do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
Romans 11:19 NIV84 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
Romans 11:20 NIV84 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
Romans 11:21 NIV84 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
Romans 11:22 NIV84 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
As we abide in Christ, we begin bearing His nature.
Think about the depth of God’s grace and mercy that gloriously included us in Christ. Before we came to Christ, we did not belong and had no right to the abundant blessings God provided. We were wild. That was our nature. Every aspect of our lives depicted our heritage. We acted up and behaved poorly. The Bible tells us we were destined for the fire. The fruit of our lives was not good. We did not like what we did, but we did not know how to change. The course of our lives led us to destruction. We wanted to do good, but evil was always present with us.
Then Jesus came into our lives.
Oh happy day when Jesus came into our lives. He took us as His very own and brought us to Himself and began making glorious changes in us. We were loved, nurtured, and grafted into His body. He infused us with life, His life. By His amazing grace, He incorporated us into His life and glorious victory. He took our death, poverty, destruction and gave us His life.
Have you ever been surprised by the things that God does in you?
You did not expect it, but God blessed your heart and began flooding you with life and His Spirit. You are becoming a living testimony of Christ. As a result of your connection with Him, He is giving you His Spirit, power, and life. It is amazing what happens when we get Holy Spirit life in us.
You have been made to share and partake in the nourishing life and power that comes from the Root.
His nature, life and power is coming into you. You may not have fully realized what He is doing, but God is working in you giving you the desire and power to do what pleases Him, (Philippians 2:13). You are going to spring forth with His fruit and bear the nature of Christ.
The nature of Christ is such a contradiction to what we were before He claimed us and made us a partaker of the nature of the Vine.
Can you see what the Lord is doing in you? We are very familiar with our old nature and ways. We have been exposed to that nature, attitude and personality every day of our lives. The world all around us has accepted that old nature as normal. We somewhat expect everyone to have a demonstration of that old nature. The old nature has been deeply ingrained in the manner of your speech and behavior. We know how to talk and walk in that old nature.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Watch Christ’s nature and character in action.
Jesus Christ is a perfect expression of God’s faith, love, mercy, grace, and power in human form. He is full of goodness, kindness, and patience. He is the perfect demonstration of this new nature and life. Jesus introduced a brand new nature and character that is governed by the Holy Spirit from within you. When the Holy Spirit is working inside of you, He produces fruit that is contrary to our old human nature. Our unregenerate mind and old nature is totally different. It is not natural for us to behave with faith, mercy, grace, and love. It is not in our old nature to have joy, peace, and patience. Your old life and nature has been changed. Your old nature is filled with attitudes and activities that are a testimony of where Christ has brought you from.
God has brought you into the fellowship of life in Christ.
He as grafted you into Jesus Christ and made you a partaker of the Root.
What does it mean to be a partaker of the Root?
To be a partaker of the Root means to receive what is in the Root. When we partake of the Root, we are taking in the richness of the nature, character, and Spirit of Christ. The quality of life, victory and power that is in Christ Jesus is flowing into your life.
What you were is not what you are becoming.
You have left that old life behind and have been brought into new life in Christ. The nature and character of Christ is working in you and as a result you begin demonstrating the identical faith, goodness, grace, mercy, and love that is in Christ.
The word “nature” means the emotional and intellectual attributes that determine a person’s actions and reactions.
As we abide in Christ, the old nature is conquered by a new nature. Your old nature is changed because something new is working within.
Christ’s nature is contrary to the old nature.
His nature is full of the Holy Spirit and faith. This assurance of faith gives us the ability to walk in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom and goodness. He is giving us His nature of mercy and grace. He is giving His nature of love and joy. His nature is kindness and goodness. His nature is patience and longsuffering. His nature is forgiveness and acceptance. His nature reaches out and helps others. His nature is self-sacrificing.
The Lord has picked you up and is carrying you along.
He wants you to know and recognize the support and strength of His sure foundation. He wants you to experience the full flow of life from the Root that holds you up and sustains you. He wants you to bear full fruit of His Spirit that exemplifies the testimony of Christ in you. He wants you to know that you are a partaker of His body and are united with Him in His victory, power and life. He is powerfully working in you and is bringing new life, healing, victory, joy, and peace. You are taking on the nature of the One who has taken you in. You have been made a partaker of everything that Jesus Christ is. Allow the Holy Spirit to fully apply Christ’s victory, power and life to you.
