“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” Jesus, *
NEW JOY
This “full joy” comes when the hunger of our soul is met through our restored relationship with the Father through Jesus and His Life again flows into us through our awakened spirit. We are at peace with God, with ourselves, with our circumstances and with others as we become the person we were created to be, and THAT is FULL JOY!
HOWEVER . .
Jesus was gentle and compassionate, and He loved sinners, but His understanding of the two opposing spirit kingdoms; His awareness of Satan’s deceptive ways and of how vulnerable the corrupted human soul is to his lies; and His knowledge of the Life that He would provide in contrast to Satan’s hell at such terrible expense to Himself – – led Him to speak in bold, uncompromising terms.
Jesus Himself said that He is divisive (Mt. 10:34-37, Luke 12:52) and that He is the only way to the Father and to heaven. (John 14:6) Such Life is exclusive to the kingdom where He rules, and the only entrance is a small gate on a narrow path. (Mt. 7:13-14)
He also said that abundant Life is conditional on our radical obedience to Him (John 14:23-24), and He was unapologetic about how forcefully He said things. Consider Luke 9:23-26.
And so it is in John 15:4-11! Note the promises, and the sequences of “ifs,” conditions and contrasts. And note in v11 that it is HIS joy in us, which comes by our abiding in Him, that fills us with joy.
SO NOW. . .
What does it mean to abide (remain) in Him? We’ll look at the dark side of abiding first because we’ll probably connect with that best, and then we’ll get to the good stuff!
Those who are genuinely concerned about the failure of today’s church to influence our nation for good and to fulfill the Great Commission, and who want to be prepared for the coming Day, will take “Abide in Me” seriously in a way that is transformational.
Do we take Jesus seriously?
*John 15:11 nasb
Ken Stoltzfus
Kidron, Ohio USA
June 30, 2021
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