WE ARE NOT IN HEAVEN YET

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-13)

Devotion 28 of 37

THE NECESSITY OF ABIDING

When theological persuasions cause one to gloss the Word of God, or even ignore it altogether, a most dangerous condition is introduced. God will not tolerate the refusal of men to receive His Word, nor will He permit men to mock Him, speaking in contradiction of Him. He will be justified in "all of His sayings," and will overcome all who have contradicted His Word (Rom 3:4).

There are few areas in which such variance is more pronounced than in the subject we are currently considering: "We Are Not in Heaven Yet." Even though there is a sense in which, while we are present in the body, "we are absent from the Lord" (2 Cor 5:6), some speak as though this were not the case at all. While believers are admonished to "lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim 6:12), some insist such an admonition is not at all true–that the words cannot possibly mean what they clearly say. Even though the Holy Spirit has held out the unbelieving Israelites as an example to the church–and ONLY to the church–some insist they are a depiction of the world, who does not, or ever has, believed–even though the Spirit affirms that crossed the Red Sea "by faith' (Heb 11:19). Rather than receiving these solemn warnings, some cast them aside, affirming they have no need of such exhortations. They have been saved for eternity, they affirm, and nothing can change that. The objections of such poor souls are like little puffs of vapor that appear for a moment, but are pushed aside by the mighty affirmations of God Himself.

God speaks to us with His purpose, the nature of salvation, and His commitments to keep us in mind. If what He says appears to contradict any commitments made to believers, then the view of the individual imagining such nonsense is simply wrong. Such a view is the "work" of the one refusing to accept the unvarnished and unmitigated word of the King.

We have another case in point in the fifteenth chapter of John. This is not a dialog with a wayward church. Nor, indeed, is it written to a group of doubting Pharisees. These words are said to the premier men in the world at that time–the eleven Apostles. Judas had already left (John 13:30), and Jesus is alone with the men He Himself had chosen. God had given them to Him, and they belonged to Him (John 15:19). How will he speak to them? Included in His matchless words are the following theology-shaking words.

"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, 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 shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, 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" (John 15:1-10).

Jesus tells His Apostles of three things NOT to be taken for granted. (1) Abiding in Him. (2) Him abiding in them. (3) His word abiding in them. He also speaks of the removal of a branch IN HIM that does not bear fruit, as well as one that is pruned in order that it might bring forth more fruit. He affirms that fruit is not realized automatically, but only if the person ABIDES in Him. Jesus emphatically states the one who does NOT abide in Him is thrown away, dried up, and finally cast into the fire. Rather than telling the Apostles to take their discipleship for granted, He speaks to them of being PROVED to be his disciples. He then admonishes them to ABIDE in His love, telling them IF they keep His commandments, they will abide in it. He then holds before them His own flawless example. He kept His Father's commandments, and thus was remaining in His love.

Jesus knew about keeping power, and yet He spoke in this manner to the men who were the closest to Him, and through whom He would be glorified. He did not tell them it was not possible to be cast away, but that it WAS possible for such to occur. He does not say they will remain in Him because of Divine determination, but associates their abiding with keeping hold of His commandments. He does not tell them take their calling and election for granted, but tells them of a proving process.

What must our Savior think of those poor souls who set their pygmy thoughts next to His infallible utterances? How must He regard the rejection of such plain declarations, and the deliberateness with which they have been administered? He did not even speak of His own relation to the Father in terms of some sort of spiritual automation. He spoke of keeping His Father's commandments, and thereby abiding in His love. Then He told his disciples to do the same.

What will Jesus say of those who say the branches that were removed were never really IN Him, when He said they were? How will He react to those who say the ones cut off really suffered no serious consequences, when He said they withered and were cast into the fire? What will be His pronouncement concerning the teaching of those who say they are kept independent of their effort, when He said they were not?

Do you imagine these are trite questions? The Lord will judge every man–and it will begin at the house of God (1 Pet 4:17). Let me be crystal clear about this. I do not have a millimeter of interest in any word that robs Christ's words of their power, or makes them irrelevant to His people. These were spoken to the highest ranking members of His body–the Apostles, who were placed "first"in the church (1 Cor 12:28). If it is countered that they were not yet perfected, that admission only destroys the contemptible doctrine that denies branches IN Christ can be cut off.

Jesus told His Apostles they were to make disciples of all nations, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you" (Matt 28:20). The fifteenth chapter of John records some of those "all things." They are to be ministered to disciples, not taken from them.

Jesus is the true Vine, and His Father cares for the that Vine. Neither of them place any priority or value on the theology of men. The Father will cut off branches in Christ that do not bear fruit, whether their theology admits to such a possibility or not. Abiding is a matter related to "if" and "except," man's theology notwithstanding. Discipleship is something to be "proved," with absolutely no regard to what any man thinks about it. Keeping Christ's commandments is related to abiding in His love, and it really makes no difference what contrary thoughts may be presented. If you are tempted to argue with this text, simply place your hand over your mouth. Then ask the Lord to help your unbelief.

PRAYER POINT: Father, in Jesus' name, I ask for grace to take Your Son at His word, and thrust from myself any contradicting thoughts.

-- Tomorrow: THE BASIS OF OUR CONFIDENCE --