by David Brenneman
“Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.” Matthew 10:26-42.
"Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:16-23.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." John 15:1-11.
I know that was a lot of reading...but the connections hopefully will become apparent.
If we are Believer's...believing that we are not our own...that we were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ...then we have a debt we owe to Jesus to live for Him in all we do, say or think.
I was really seeing the correlation between slaves to righteousness and the vine and the branches. Those who are branches are slaves to the vine. There's purposeful fruit on the branches that are a result of obedience to the will of the vine.
It is said right there that any branches that do not bear fruit will be removed. Obedience to the will of the vine, that is the will of God, is an essential requirement.
Owing a life debt is what we owe who are in Christ. Out of respect, admiration, love, we are to willingly obey the will of God for us in Christ Jesus.
The world is dead set against this. Wanting all who are in Christ to water down their responsibilities. To make complete obedience an option.
A cancer cell is an abhorrent problem. It's a cell that is completely outside the will of God for a normal healthy human being. It's will is what matters to it. It robs, steals and destroys the normal cells around it.
Which are you trying to be like?
There's many examples in both real life and movies of people with life debts. Their personal wants and desires are secondary to whatever the person they owe needs or wants done.
This is indeed akin to slavery. Joseph was sold into slavery. He quickly learned what obedience brought. Regardless of his circumstances we read that he learned to lean on the Lord his God.
The results speak for themselves. The Lord blessed him.
The Jews of Jesus's day took issue with Jesus saying they were slaves. That they do the will of their father the Devil.
In our lives, if indeed we're saved, are going to have many many times where our will is going to be cast aside for us to be obedient to Christ. He is the vine, we are the branches. He died for us, we live for Jesus.
Contrary to popular opinion...every single Believer has been given more than enough time to live an obedient life in Christ Jesus. We have just been taught by the world to make selfishness our priority, our primary focus. The result is branches with no fruit.
Really think about that. Seriously how will you really look at your life, what you have made important, and reconcile that with the righteous life that God desires for you? Do they even cross paths? If Jesus all the sudden appeared at your doorstep...would you simply welcome Him in or be all the sudden thinking of a hundred things that He's not going to be happy about?
He is the vine, we are the branches. The branches are slaves to the vine to do the will of the vine.
Spring cleaning may be coming...but...you can start today to start ridding your life of things that are keeping you from a life of obedience. We should be happy to be living in obedience to Jesus. He said to take His yoke upon us for His burden is easy and His load is light.
Our worldly perceptions of what that load is and what it might mean derails many Believer's in Jesus.
Are you wanting to please the One who died for you or please yourself? Any branches that do not bear fruit are cut off. They are taken from this world. Jesus said many will make it to Heaven but will have nothing to present back to Him for all He's done for them.
Make it your aim to live up to your responsibilities...out of gratitude for all He's done for you.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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