Bearing Fruit By The Overflow Of The Inner Life
BEARING FRUIT BY THE OVERFLOW
OF THE INNER LIFE
Since the time I was saved and began to love the Lord and the Bible, I have been attracted to John 15, where we have the illustration of the grapevine. For more than fifty years, this illus tration has never been far away from my consid eration.
BEING PARTS OF CHRIST
Christ is the vine, and we are the branches (15:5). The fact that Christ is the vine and we are the branches of this vine clearly indicates that we are part of Christ. What a great matter this is! John 15 is not merely a parable; it is an illustra tion showing how we are now a part of Christ. We are not simply those who have been redeemed, forgiven, justified, reconciled, and saved. We are actually a part of Christ! If we view the illustra tion from this angle, we shall realize how pro found it is. Christ is the very embodiment of God, and we are pitiful, corrupted, fallen, and even