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ABSOLUTELY CONNECTED

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every ran!h in me that d"es n"t

 ear #ruit $e ta%es a&ay' and every ran!h that ears #ruit $e (runes, that it may ear

m"re #ruit. Y"u are a)ready !)ean e!ause "# the &"rd &hi!h I have s("%en t" y"u.Aide in me, and I in y"u. As the ran!h !ann"t ear #ruit "# itse)#, un)ess it aides in the

vine, neither !an y"u, un)ess y"u aide in me. I am the vine, y"u are the ran!hes. $e

&h" aides in me, and I in him, ears mu!h #ruit' #"r &ith"ut me y"u !an d" n"thin*. I#any"ne d"es n"t aide in me, he is !ast "ut as a ran!h and is &ithered' and they *ather

them and thr"& them int" the #ire, and they are urned. I# y"u aide in me, and my

&"rds aide in y"u, y"u &i)) as% &hat y"u desire, and it sha)) e d"ne #"r y"u. By this

my Father is *)"ri#ied, that y"u ear mu!h #ruit' s" y"u &i)) e my dis!i()es. As theFather )"ved me, I a)s" have )"ved y"u' aide in my )"ve. I# y"u %ee( my

!"mmandments, y"u &i)) aide in my )"ve, +ust as I have %e(t my Fathers

!"mmandments and aide in $is )"ve. These thin*s I have s("%en t" y"u, that my +"y

may remain in y"u and that y"ur +"y may e #u)).-  "hn /01/2//

3e )ive in an a*e in &hi!h (e"()e &i)) try t" te)) y"u that there are n" as")utes.3e )"ve t" s(ea% "# shades "# meanin*' &e dis!"ver m"re and m"re "# &hat &e !a))

“*ray areas-' &e invent ne& !at!h2(hrases )i%e “situati"na) ethi!s- t" !"nvin!e "urse)ves

that even the m"st sett)ed truths may !han*e &ith the situati"n. And yet &e s" "#ten #ind

esus s(ea%in* in as")ute terms. 3e #ind a str"n* e4am()e in this (assa*e, &hi!h &i)) ethe #"!us "# the Bi)e study e*innin* ne4t &ee% at 5eh""th. esus instru!ts $is

dis!i()es here in s"me "# $is #ina) remar%s e#"re #"))"&in* the (ath t" the !r"ss. 3hatesus !a))s #"r is radi!a) dis!i()eshi( and absolute devotion t" $im. Lets ta%e a )""% ats"me "# the “as")utes- inv")ved in #"))"&in* esus.

$e s(ea%s #irst "# a)) a"ut absolute dependence. $e ma%es "ne "# the m"st

as")ute statements &e &i)) #ind a"ut $imse)# &hen $e says, “A(art #r"m me y"u !and" n"thin*.- It is a statement that "ur )ives are t"ta))y de(endent u("n $im. A#ter a)),

&hat d"es the ran!h have &ithin itse)# that it has n"t re!eived #r"m the vine6 This *"es

a*ainst everythin* &e are tau*ht y "ur !u)ture. There is a humanisti! #)av"r that !ree(s

int" "ur a((r"a!h t" )i#e, &hi!h &"u)d te)) us that the ans&er t" &hatever &e #a!e is t" e#"und &ithin "urse)ves. And it is tau*ht, %n"&in*)y "r un%n"&in*)y, at the ear)iest )eve)s

in "ur deve)"(ment. 7y %ids used t" )"ve t" &at!h the sh"& B)ues C)ues. I &as

&at!hin* a it "# it &ith them "ne day, and I e*an t" &"nder &hat dire!ti"n it )eads, as I)istened t" the &"rds "# "ne "# the re*u)ar s"n* r"utines1 “3hen &e use "ur minds and

ta%e a ste( at a time, &e !an d" anythin* that &e &anna d".-

 N"& )et me say, "# !"urse, that I re!"*ni8e the *""d in &hat &"u)d e tau*ht, andit is !ertain)y *""d t" ui)d !hi)drens se)#2esteem and se)#2!"n#iden!e. But I thin% very

"#ten &e a))"& that (endu)um t" s&in* t"" #ar #r"m the !enter, and &e deve)"( &ays "#

thin%in* that e!"me off 2!entered e!ause they are self 2!entered. 3e as Christians must

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)earn t" dis!ern the ("int at &hi!h &e e*in t" )eave 9"d "ut "# the e:uati"n and a))"&

"ur de(enden!e t" e!"me inde(enden!e.

esus a)s" s(ea%s "# absolute fellowship1 “Aide in me, and I in y"u.- This ("&er#u) statement ("ints "ut t" us that the vine and the ran!hes share a CO77ON

LIFE. In Christ, &e have !"mm"n intenti"ns, (ur("ses, th"u*ht, em"ti"ns, and desires.

;au) e4(ressed it this &ay1 “I am !ru!i#ied &ith Christ, yet I )ive' ut it is n" )"n*er I&h" )ive, ut C$5IST LI<ES IN 7E.- Are &e divine then6 There are s"me &h" s(ea%

"# us being  divine, "r becoming  divine, ut the true nature "# it &"u)d e etter des!ried

as sharing  in the divine. 3e must rememer that the vine sustains the ran!hes, and n"tthe "ther &ay ar"und. And a vita) (art "# this sustainin* #e))"&shi( &ith Christ is a

dev"ted (rayer )i#e, maintainin* the !hanne)s "# !"mmuni!ati"n.

In this )i#e "# aidin* in Christ there &i)) a)s" e absolute fruitfulness1 “$e &h"

aides in me, and I in him, ears 7UC$ F5UIT.- In En*)ands #am"us Thames 5iver,there is a ()a!e &here the river #"r%s tem("rari)y int" t&" !hanne)s. In the midd)e "# the

river, "n the *r"und et&een the t&" #"r%s, there is a sin*)e )ar*e *ra(evine &hi!h, ea!h

time it (r"du!es, ears "ver =,>>> !)usters "# *ra(es. The se!ret6 It has a never2endin*

&ater s"ur!e. 3e have the same (i!ture that !"mes t" us #r"m ;sa)m /, and has eensun* a"ut #"r many years in "ur !hur!hes1 “ust )i%e a tree thats ()anted y the &aters,

L"rd, I sha)) n"t e m"ved.- This tree, the ;sa)mist says, “rin*s #"rth #ruit in itsseas"n.- And s" &e &i)), i# )i%e the ima*e dra&n there, &e remain !)"se t" the s"ur!e.

The (assa*e s(ea%s "# absolute rest 1 “I# y"u aide in me, and my &"rds aide in

y"u, y"u &i)) as% &hat y"u desire, and it sha)) e d"ne #"r y"u.- The ran!h d"es n"thave t" 3O5? t" (r"du!e the #ruit' it sim()y (r"du!es #ruit as a natura) "ut#)"& "# ein*

CONNECTED t" the vine. F"r th"se &h"se &a)% &ith 9"d e!"mes !"nne!ted &ith

d"in*, this seems t" e "ne "# the hardest truths t" understand. Thin*s e!"me a it

easier &hen &e )earn t" aand"n the “7artha syndr"me- and sim()y sit at the #eet "#esus and a))"& "urse)ves t" e #i))ed t" "ver#)"&in*.

The &"rds here a)s" s(ea% t" us "# absolute love1 “As the Father )"ved me, I a)s"

have )"ved y"u' ABIDE IN 7Y LO<E.- True )"ve &i)) a)&ays revea) itse)# in theasen!e "# se)#2see%in*. True )"ve &i)) a)&ays e !ru!i#ied, &i)) a)&ays e se)#2*ivin*.

But &e !an e !ru!i#ied and sti)) e se)#2!entered. 3e !an han* "nt" "ur "&n !"n#)i!ts,

#rustrati"ns, and an*uish. Thats &hy this )"ve e!"mes #"r us a true matter "# !h"i!e1&e !h""se t" ta%e the same (ath that Christ t""%, and that means se)#2ren"un!in* )"ve.

Or as esus said it, “3h"ever )"ses his )i#e #"r my sa%e &i)) #ind it.-

An"ther as")ute, and "ne that many (e"()e &"u)d (re#er had n"t een in!)uded

here, is absolute obedience1 “I# y"u %ee( my !"mmandments, y"u &i)) aide in my)"ve.- There are th"se &h" see% t" em(hasi8e and (r"te!t the divine initiative in

sa)vati"n, that it is “y *ra!e.- Sa)vati"n is seen as a (ermanent !han*e "# re)ati"nshi(,

"r as the !"mm"n !at!h2(hrase says it, “"n!e saved, a)&ays saved.- I thin% this vineima*e tends t" s(ea% a*ainst that e)ie#, e!ause there is an"ther as")ute that *ets

i*n"red in ma%in* that statement1 absolute destruction. <erse @ says, “I# any"ne d"es

n"t aide in me, he is !ast "ut as a ran!h and is &ithered, and they *ather them andthr"& them int" the #ire, and they are urned.- It es!a(es me h"& any"ne !an miss the

ima*e. O# !"urse, Im n"t sayin* that every )itt)e sin ma%es any"ne a !andidate #"r the

destru!ti"n s("%en "# here. But t" su**est that a &i))#u), (ersistent (attern !an n"t )ead t"

that u)timate !"nse:uen!e, is t" deny that s"methin* d"es ha((en ea!h time &e rem"ve

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"urse)ves #r"m that )i#e2*ivin* vine. This is very mu!h !"nsistent &ith the ima*e esus

dra&s here, and &ith &hat &e %n"& a"ut vines. A t&i* !an e ent t" the ("int "#

 rea%in* (artia))y, ut n"t !"m()ete)y, and !an yet maintain the #)"& "# )i#e, th"u*him(er#e!t)y. The )"n*er the #)"& is interru(ted, the m"re )i%e)y it is that the ran!h &i))

 e!"me &ithered. Yet the ran!h may a)s" e hea)ed and returned t" #u)) hea)th It is an

em(ty ar*ument a)s" t" su**est that this (assa*e d"es n"t s(ea% "# th"se &h" &ere ever“!"nne!ted t" the vine,- "r “in Christ-1 t" e “!ast "ut- very !)ear)y im()ies that in s"me

&ay the ran!h &as “in-' and t" e &ithered very !)ear)y sh"&s that the ran!h &as

re!eivin* )i#e #r"m the vine. T" #"))"& this ima*e t" its )"*i!a) !"n!)usi"ns d"es n"dama*e t" the idea "# divine *ra!e. 3e are sti)) saved y *ra!e, and &e are sti)) sustained

 y the )i#e2*ivin* *ra!e "# the vine. This )i#e must e sustained, th"u*h, y !"ntinued

!"nne!ti"n &ith the vinethe (eri) "# n"t d"in* s" is the &itherin* "# the s"u).

The %ey t" maintainin* this vita) !"nne!ti"n !"mes d"&n t" "ne thin*1 absolute self-surrender . I !h""se that term !are#u))y, e!ause t"" "#ten &hen &e s(ea% "#

re!eivin* the *ra!e that &"u)d )ead us t" Christ2)i%eness, it *ets inter(reted as self-

 perfection, "r self-improvement . Se)#2(er#e!ti"n #ai)s every time, e!ause it has the

&r"n* !enter. Se)# as the !enter is tru)y "##2!enter. But se)#2surrender t" Christ is!entered "n the "n)y ;er#e!t One &h" ever )ivedand $is (er#e!t nature e*ins t" e

mani#ested in "ur )ives as &e #"))"& $im, in (r"("rti"n t" "ur !"nne!ti"n &ith $im.“3e a)), &ith unvei)ed #a!e, eh")din* as in a mirr"r the *)"ry "# the L"rd, are ein*

trans#"rmed int" the same ima*e #r"m *)"ry t" *)"ry, +ust as y the S(irit "# the L"rd-

= C"r. 1/.T"day, as &e)!"me Christ int" "ur midst as &e #e))"&shi( at $is ta)e, )et us tear

d"&n the id") "# se)#2im(r"vement, and "(en "ur hearts t" $im in true se)#2surrender.