HE CAN DO IT
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”– John 15:5
There are times, no doubt, that we all face situations that seem impossible– actually are impossible without help. Sadly, more often than not, our first thought is to give up, surrender our joy and live in a depressed state. But God expects better of us. While it’s true that we don’t always get what we desire, in some cases God expects us to expect the impossible. For example– have you noticed how many of the Bible commands seem to be impossible? Think about it. We are told to “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matt. 5:44). Really? Indeed– we are called to live a miracle, to live on a level so high that it is impossible without God’s help. The demands of discipleship far exceeds our human ability. We are told to do things that in and of ourselves we could never do. Christians are confronted with challenges they could never meet without Christ.
Jesus was clear and blunt about this in John 15:5- “without me ye can do nothing”. Notice, He didn’t say “Without you I can do nothing”! You aren’t that important. Don’t ever think you are indispensable. God can get along just fine without you or me, but we can’t get along without Him. Do you realize that Jesus is the only person ever who could truthfully say this? And I want you to notice who He is speaking to and about. He isn’t speaking about unbelievers. He is speaking to the apostles about believers– those who are branches of the vine, those who are saved. It is to them that that He says , “without me ye can do nothing“. In vs. 4 He says we cannot bear fruit apart from the vine. He alone makes what He expects possible. That’s encouraging!
This should be a great encouragement to us. Christ enables us to do the impossible. That should put you at peace and make your life better in every way. With Him all things are possible. Christ can cause us to conquer any challenge. I can’t always tell you what He will do, but I can tell you what He is able to do–everything! Think about how this can improve your life. It can restore relationships, cleanse your conscience, provide peace, help you to be happy, etc. Christ makes all that and more possible.
But there is something else you need to think about. While these are the blessings of abiding in Christ you need to consider the consequences of not doing so. That’s a depressing thought! Not only are we miserable, we also become useless– we waste our lives. The Lord’s desire is that we “beareth fruit” (vs. 2), “more fruit” (vs. 2), and “much fruit” (vs. 8). In doing so He is glorified (vs. 8) and we are gratified (vs. 11). That is making the best possible use of your life!– HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
