The writings of the Apostle John are in three categories- the Gospel, the three Epistles, and the book of Revelation. In his Gospel John tells us about abiding in the vine. In fact, this is the central thought in the Gospel of John. Not till we come to his Epistles, however, do we find how to abide in the vine. Then in Revelation we have the reaping.
Before we consider what the Epistles tell us of the way to abide in the vine, I would remind you of the vision shown us in John 15. It is nothing less than the dispensation of the Triune God. The Father is a husbandman cultivating a vine, the Son. What the Father is and does has become embodied in the Son. The Spirit transmits what the Father cultivates and what the Son embodies, into us the branches.
What is the secret of the growth and spread of this vine? Life. We the branches have only to live the life of this vine, grow this vine, and produce this vine. This life is simple and ordinary, without the encumbrances of organization, gifts, or doctrine. Life does not mean teachings, natural talents, plans, or activities. John 15 does not refer to teachings, gifts, and organization, though these are what Christianity requires for its existence and spreading. The vine in John 15 grows by life alone.
We need this vision to kill all our dependence on arrangements, schemes, and gifts. It is not easy to live such a simple life. We were born and raised in an environment that has encouraged us to teach, organize, use our gifts, and take action. These things are still in our blood. Sooner or later they will crop up, unless our natural man has been put to death. May God have mercy upon us, that our plans and activities may be fully killed, and that we may see that He wants nothing but His Son lived out as our life and as our fruit. If we see this, we shall prostrate ourselves before Him and repent of living by our natural man.
The Word is the embodiment of the Triune God, and also of His life, light, and economy. The divine life is embodied in the printed page of the Bible. This Word is concrete and substantial. We can all touch and receive it. From the Lord’s word in 15:7, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you,” we can see that our abiding in Him is a condition for His word abiding in us.
The result of this mutual abiding is fruit-bearing. If you were to ask the branches how they are able to bear fruit, they would say they do not plan, nor organize, nor use their gifts; their fruit is just the outflow of their inner life. Let us stop all our doings and just live Christ, grow Him, and reproduce Him. “Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little” (Hag. 1:5-6). What has been the result of all our labor?
In 1 John we are given the practical ways to experience abiding in Christ. The first chapter gives us the first way. We shall consider the chapter verse by verse.
First John 1:1 says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life” (Gk.). By comparing this verse with the first verse of the Gospel of John, we know that “That which was from the beginning” is the Word. The Word is for hearing; it can also be seen and handled. The Word of life is a Person; “Word” is capitalized because it is personified. This Person is the Lord Jesus. If we add John 1:4, “In Him was life,” to the description of Him in John 1:1 as the Word, we have the term used here, the Word of life.
The Word of life cannot be separated from the Word of letters. To do so would be like separating your spirit from your body; the result would be death. The Word of life is one with the Word of letters. We must treasure this book, the Bible, because within its printed pages is the Word of life.
Verse 2 says, “For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.” Eternal life can be shown. It is not just preached or taught; there is a showing of the eternal life. The words, “which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us,” again indicate that eternal life is nothing less than Jesus Christ Himself. He is the very life.
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