What is Christianity Wiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Abiding in Christ'

Back to J. C. Philpot Sermons


Next Part Abiding in Christ' 2


Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abides in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me." John 15:4

Have you ever considered the experience of the disciples when their Lord and Master was sojourning here below? To my mind, there is something very instructive, and, I may add, very encouraging in it.

On the one hand, observe how ignorant they were of the nature of Christ's kingdom! Two of the most eminent of them besought him that they might sit, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left, in his glory. What ignorance did that request imply of the nature of his spiritual kingdom, as if there were a right and a left hand there! Observe, too, theirunbelief. How continually the Lord had to chide them! "Where is your faith?" and "O you of little faith!" Remark also, their carnality and worldly-mindedness. How, on one occasion, two of them asked their Master that fire might come down from heaven to destroy his enemies! and how, at the very first onset of danger, "they all forsook him and fled!" It is, to my mind, very instructive and encouraging, thus to see their weakness, ignorance, and unbelief.

We have taken a hasty glance at the dark side of the question; we have traced out what they were in self. Let us now take another view of their character, and mark something of theSpirit's work upon their heart. For though they were, as I have shown, ignorant, unbelieving, weak, and worldly-minded; yet there were distinct marks of the Spirit's teaching in them. Observe, for instance, their faith. What said Peter, who spoke in the name of them all? "We believe and are sure that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:69.) Observe, too, their love. On one occasion, Thomas, the most unbelieving of them all, felt such love springing up in his soul towards the Redeemer that he said to his fellow-disciples, "Let us also go (with him into Judea) that we may die with him." (John 11:16.) Observe also, their sincerity. How they cleaved to the Lord through evil report and good report! turned their back upon the world, gave up everything that nature loves, and followed Jesus in the strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life! Observe also, theirpatience; as the Lord said to them, "You are they which have continued with me in my temptations." (Luke 22:28.)

I bring forward these two sides, because there are many of the Lord's family who are now precisely in the same state and stage of experience that the disciples were when Christ was upon earth. It is therefore most encouraging for them to see that they may have all the short-comings, infirmities, and weakness that the disciples had, and yet be true hearted and genuine followers of the Lamb!

Observe too, how the Lord dealt with them as a nursing father. It is true, there were occasions when he reprimanded them! but how tenderly he reprimanded them! how he led them on step by step from grace to grace! and how from time to time he opened up to them the treasures of his loving heart! On that night, that gloomy night, especially when the Lord was betrayed into the hands of sinful men, he spoke to them all that was in his heart. He had hitherto called them "servants;" he would discard that title, and would for the future call them "friends;" and as his friends he would open up to them the secrets of his loving bosom.

In the chapter before us, he speaks of himself as the only Head of divine influence— "I am the true Vine." He tells them too, what they were in him, as well as what he was to them. "I am the Vine, and you are the branches." And the same truth he declares in the words of the text, "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."

We may observe two things in the words before us. First, the exhortation that the Lord gives them, "Abide in me, and I in you." And secondly, the reason which the Lord lays before them that they should abide in him; for that only by doing so could they bear fruit to his glory.

I. The exhortation– "Abide in me, and I in you." But before it can be said to any one, "Abide in Christ," he must have standing in Christ. The very expression, "Abide in me," necessarily implies a union with Jesus. Now, of this union with Christ, we may observe three distinct features. There is, first, the eternal union which the church had with Christ before all worlds. There is, secondly, the vital union which takes place between Christ and the believing soul, when the Holy Spirit raises up faith in the heart. And there is, thirdly,living union (communion) with the Lord Jesus Christ springing out of this vital union.

This is God's order, the order in which it lay in his eternal mind. But it is not so with respect to the way whereby we become acquainted with it. We do not see, first, our eternal union with Christ, next proceed to vital union by living faith, and end all with divine communion. But the way by which we are brought to receive these things is, first, to feel ourselves "without Christ," cut off by sin from all communion with him; next, by a work of grace upon the soul, to be brought to believe in his name, and thus receive a vital union with him; out of this vital union with him springs next living communion; and out of living communion arises last a knowledge of eternal union.

But it will be desirable to enter into these things a little more in detail. They are vital points of the deepest importance, therefore not to be hurried over, nor passed lightly by; for on them depends our eternal standing, as well as our evidence whether we be bound for heaven or hell.

What, then, is the Scriptural description? (for by the Scriptures we must always stand or fall)—what is the divinely inspired account of the state of a child of God before he is brought to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? "Dead in trespasses and sins." "Without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." (Eph. 2:1, 12.) If this be the description which the Holy Spirit has given of the elect in a state of nature, (and the experience of every one divinely taught bears testimony that God the Holy Spirit, in thus describing their character, has penned it as with a ray of light), must not some mighty revolution take place in the soul before it is brought to believe in Christ, and thus to enjoy vital union with him?

What are we by nature? Are we not closely riveted and glued to the world, to the things of time and sense, to our own righteousness, and to all that God hates with complete hatred? Must there not, then, be a divorce from these first husbands, that we may be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we may bring forth fruit unto God? Must not the sharp sword of God's word cut asunder this close union with the world, with the things of time and sense, with our own righteousness, and with the law? Surely. Before we can be brought into a knowledge of, and any vital union with Christ, or any spiritual communion with his most gracious Majesty, the keen knife must pass between us and self, us and the law, us and our own righteousness, us and our own fleshly obedience; and thus separate us utterly from these things, in order to bring about a union to Christ, which we never can have, so long as we cleave to those perishing things on which the eternal wrath of God rests. And is not this a painful operation? Can the keen knife pass between us and the world, us and our fleshly obedience, us and our own righteousness, us and that idol self which we so dearly love and pay such devout worship to, without leaving marks and scars upon our flesh, or without causing some keen and acute sensations? It cannot! and those who have experienced these things know it cannot. But how indispensable, how utterly indispensable, is this operation in the hands of the Spirit, to cut us off from self; that we may have union, living union, with the Lord Jesus Christ. For Christ and self can never unite. Christ's righteousness and our own righteousness; the love of God and the love of the world; the worshiping of Jesus, and the worshiping of idols; admiring of ourselves, and admiring of him; can never sit upon the same throne.

Self must be laid in ruins before Jesus can be set up effectually in the heart. There must be a divorce, a thorough divorce, from everything that nature cleaves to, before a living union with the Lord Jesus Christ can be brought about. This is the reason why the Lord's people pass through such severe exercises, perplexities, conflicts, and trials, such powerful temptations, such varied feelings, such deep afflictions, to uproot them, to cut them completely off and wholly out of self, that they may be brought by divine faith to have a vital union with the Lord Jesus Christ.

But is this sufficient? Something more is needed. All our exercises, all our convictions, all our afflictions; all our trials, all our temptations—be they increased a thousand fold—cannot give us a living union with Christ. We find this daily manifested. We see many groaning and grieving under trials and afflictions, who yet seem to have no vital union with the Lamb of God. Another process is therefore necessary. The blessed Spirit must not only cut us off from self, but give us a living union with the Lord Jesus Christ. And how does he do this? By making him known to our souls; by unfolding to us something of his glory. Was not this the way by which the disciples had a living union with Christ? It was not Peter leaving his fishing-nets that gave him a vital union with Christ; it was not their coming out of the world that gave them a vital union with Christ; it was not their preaching the gospel, nor working miracles, that gave them a vital union with Christ. Did not Judas do all these things as well as the rest? But it was what the Apostle speaks of (John 1:14), "We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." It was this which gave them vital union with Christ. If we have never, by the eye of faith, seen Jesus, the Son of God, "and beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father," and felt the actings of living faith in our bosom whereby that blessed Redeemer was laid hold of and embraced—whatever we may talk about our religion, however highly we may estimate it, or however highly other people may esteem it in us, we have as yet no vital proof of union with Jesus.

Let these two things, then, be well weighed up in your experience. May Satan not deceive us in this matter. Two processes are indispensably necessary to be passed through; the one, a separation from self, produced by the keen edge of God's word in the conscience; the other, a vital union with Jesus through the actings of that living faith which the Holy Spirit alone can raise up in the soul.

Now, out of this vital union with Christ springs communion with him. "Abide in me, and I in you." But we can have no abiding in Christ except we have first union with him. The Lord clearly presupposes that the disciples to whom he was speaking had this union with him. He says, "Abide in me," that is, 'you are already in me, continue in me;' as he says, (verse 9,) "Continue you in my love." But O, how many things there are that PREVENT this abiding in Christ! Let us consider a few.

1. Unbelief, the power of UNBELIEF—what an enemy—what a desperate enemy is this to abiding in Christ! What is it that brings the soul near to Christ, that gives it vital union with Jesus, and makes him precious? Is it not living faith? Is not that the eye which sees Christ? Is not that the hand which takes hold of Christ, and brings him near? Is not that the ear that hears the voice of Christ? Surely. Unbelief then is that mortal foe which ever fights with desperate enmity against the life of faith in the soul. When, then, we are filled with little else but unbelief, is there any sensible abiding in Christ? We cannot at such moments realize even our union with him at all. He is so distant that we cannot get near unto, much less enjoy communion with him.

2. The power of SIN is another thing that prevents the soul from acting up to this divine exhortation, "Abide in me." O how sin, in its workings within, in its mighty power, in its polluting defilements, separates our souls from the object of our heart's love! How it drives us, as I was speaking last Lord's day, to "the ends of the earth!" How it intercepts and cuts off communion with the Lord of life and glory!

3. DARKNESS OF MIND. O how the Lord's people have, for the most part, to groan and lament under darkness of mind; and how continually this prevents communion with the Lord Jesus Christ! When we are in that state, as some of us doubtless often are, where "we see not our signs;" when night rests upon our soul; when we cannot find the way, nor that our feet are in the way; when we can scarcely trace one mark of divine teaching within; when Jesus is as little known to us as though there were no Jesus at all, and as though we had never seen him nor believed in his name—what power and prevalence this darkness of mind has to intercept communion with the Lord of life and glory!

4. The cares and anxieties of the WORLD laying hold of the heart, stealing in upon the affections, burying the thoughts, and overwhelming the mind with a flood of carnal solicitude—who that knows the coming in of the world in this shape, does not know, painfully know, how it breaks in upon the communion with the Lord Jesus Christ!

5. The temptations of SATAN; the fiery darts that he often casts into our carnal mind; and the workings, the hideous workings of evil, that are thence felt, deeply felt within—how these things all conspire to prevent a firm and believing abiding in Christ.

But if there were no such hindrances, if there were no such difficulties, would the Lord have said, "Abide in me?" He knew, well knew, there was everything in us to prevent abiding in him. That though, in rich grace, he had brought us near to himself; yet there was everything in self, everything in sin, and everything in the world, to intercept communion with him, and take us out of that sweet, blessed, and spiritual state, in which we feelingly and experimentally abide in him.

But I must not dwell upon one side of the question only, and merely show the hindrances to felt union and communion with the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us look at the other side of the picture, and see how we are ENABLED from time to time to abide in Jesus.

Be this never forgotten, that if we have ever been brought near to the Lord Jesus Christ by the actings of living faith, there never can be any final, actual separation from him. As far indeed as our feelings are concerned, there is many an interposition to communion with him, and fears too of final separation from him; but there is never actual separation. In the darkest moments, in the dreariest hours, under the most painful exercises, the most fiery temptations, there is, as with Jonah in the belly of hell, a looking again toward the holy temple. There is not an abandoning of all hope, a going into the world, a giving up of all we have felt in the Lord's name. There is sometimes a sigh, a cry, a groan, a breathing forth of the heart's desire to "know him, and the power of his resurrection;" that he would draw us near unto himself, and make himself precious to our souls. And these very cries and sighs, groanings and breathings, all prove that whatever darkness of mind, guilt of conscience, or unbelief we may feel, there is no real separation.

It is in grace as it is in nature; the clouds do not blot out the sun; it is still in the sky, though they often intercept his bright rays. And so with the blessed Sun of Righteousness; our unbelief, our ignorance; our darkness of mind, our guilt of conscience, our many temptations—these do not blot out the Sun of Righteousness from the sky of grace. Though thick clouds come between him and us and make us feel as though he was blotted out, or at least as if we were blotted from his remembrance, yet, through mercy, where grace has begun the work, grace carries it on; "Being confident of this very thing– that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6.) Were it not so, there could be no revivings of faith, hope, or love. But, through mercy, infinite mercy, where the Lord has implanted his blessed graces of faith, hope, and love, he waters them from time to time with the dews of his grace; as he says, "In that day we will sing of the pleasant vineyard. I, the Lord, will watch over it and tend its fruitful vines. Each day I will water them; day and night I will watch to keep enemies away." (Isa. 27:2, 3.)

Now the blessed Spirit is the sole author of communion with the Lord. It is only under his secret operations and most divine influences, that we are ever brought to the footstool of Jesus; that our eyes are ever anointed with heavenly eye-salve to see his beauty and glory; that our hearts ever pant after him as the deer after the water-brooks; or that we ever feel anything like union and communion with his most gracious Majesty.


Next Part Abiding in Christ' 2


Back to J. C. Philpot Sermons