Abiding in the Vine

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Christ says to his church, «Ye are the light of the world.» If each would let his light shine in the home, he would then be able to work earnestly for the church. But the Christian is powerless unless he is in living connection with Christ. It is only through its connection with the vine, that the branch can bring forth the same fruit as does the vine. «Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.» This is the fruit that every branch which is grafted into the True Vine will bear. There will be no pomposity, no rash, independent, self-sufficient movements. No envy or jealousy, no evil surmisings or harsh denunciations, will be manifested by any who love Jesus. There will be no crowding, no climbing above one another; for there is room for all to work.

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«But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.» This kind of fruit is not borne by the branch that abides in the Vine. «This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.» «But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace, of them that make peace.»

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Through the apostle Peter the Holy Spirit admonishes us: «Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [ * * * ] Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.»

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By living and working upon the plan of addition, we shall receive the rich grace of God. For as we, with the grace given, work to benefit other souls in need, God will work in our behalf on the plan of multiplication: «Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.»

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Will God’s people listen to his voice speaking to them through his word? Will they take the instruction that comes from the source of all light? Will they receive the Holy Spirit’s teaching? In the words of the Scripture I have quoted is a sermon for every member of the church. Will you receive it and profit by it? Will you be wise in your conception of what constitutes Christian character and Christian experience? Will you hear and receive the truth because it is truth? Will you have the faith that works by love, and purifies the soul from every spiritual defilement?

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The Lord is coming. The earth’s history is soon to close. Are you prepared to meet the Judge of the earth? Bear in mind that «he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy.» How terrible it will be in the last great day to find that those with whom we have been familiarly associated are separated from us forever; to see the members of our family, perhaps our own children, unsaved; to find those who have visited our homes, and eaten at our tables, among the lost. Then we shall ask ourselves the question, Was it because of my impatience, my unchristlike disposition; was it because self was not under control, that the religion of Christ became distasteful to them?

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The world must be warned of the soon coming of the Lord. We have but a little time in which to work. Years have passed into eternity that might have been improved in seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and in diffusing the light to others. God calls upon his people who have great light, much labor bestowed upon them, and are established in the truth, to now work for themselves and others as they have never done before. Make use of every ability; bring into exercise every power, every entrusted talent; use all the light that God has given you to do others good. Do not try to be preachers; but become ministers for God. As the truth is better understood by the workers, it will ever appear in a more striking light; as you seek to enlighten others, with your minds under the holy influence of the Spirit of God, your attention will be directed toward those things that are of eternal interest. In such efforts, mingled with prayers for divine light, your own hearts will throb with the quickening influence of the grace of God; your own affections will glow with more divine fervor, and your whole Christian life will be more of a reality, more earnest, more prayerful. Thus by Christ abiding in the heart, you may become laborers together with God.