The north Mississippi herald., 1920-10-01

Vine, aye, the very wounds of the vine,
before the vine can enter the twig with
its life giving, fruit-producing sap.
Christ In you the hope of glory"
(Colossians :2O is blessedly true,
but not until "of him are ye in Christ
Jesus" Il Corinthians :30). There
must first be position, before there
can be possession.
Our Position.
"In Christ"-What meaSureleSs
depths of meaning in these words !!
In him are "all the treasures of wis
dom and knowledge;" :" in him is ''pen-
teous redemption" :" in him is life, the
eternal life" "in Him." to ~um 1t all
up, ''dwelleth all the fullness of the
Godhead bodily" and we are COM
pete in him." There is not one need
in all our human nature that is not
fully met in him.
In Paul's epistle to the Romans the
figure of grated" twig is used to
illustrate the Christian life. Thou
vert cut out of the olive tree which
Is wild by nature, and vert grated
contrary to nature into a good olive
tree" (Romans IL :2D.
wild by nature"-that expresses
it. That describes you and me-
Wanting, because of our self-will, the
Husbandman's culture, we were left
to grow alone. Resenting the pruning
hook our growth was selfish, our fruit
age bitter, our tree cumberer OF the
ground, a thing accursed. There is no
hope for this wild" humanity of ours !;
it is under q curse. Our only hope is
to be "cut OUT of it and grated into
a good olive tree" and this he does
when we believe on his son Jesus
Christ, who is the good olive tree.
"Of Him (God) are ye in Christ
Jesus" "By grace are ye saved
through faith, and that not of your
selves; 1t is t4e gift of God, not OF
works lest any man boast"
Note, Furthermore, that this horti-
cultural surgery is contrary to ma
ture." Ordinarily the horticulturlst
CRAFTS good scion into common but
hardy tree. But in this spiritual hor-
ticuture the grating is just the other
way; poor wild twig into good tree
and the grated branch bears not its
own but the fruit of the good tree. i
die TO the old. Eve to the new"
Another fact we need to note in this
sniritual surgery. The good tree Is
wounded, wounded expressly for the
graft, and into the wound the tWlg IS
hound fast until it grows into its new
nlace of abiding. Did we not see him
"stricken, smitten of God and atfiict-
ed" wounded for our transgressions
and bruised for our iniqutiesT Ana
are we not grated into those very
wounds? Romans go, IF we were
planted (the Greek says grown to-
rether." as a grated twig to the stock)
in the likeness of his death we shall
ha in the likeness of his resurrection.
II is at the cross | come to know
him. 1t is there find union with him.
It is in that everlasting atonement l
rest INV soul, and rooted in him, grow
no IN him and bear his fruit.
Our Possession
"Ye In me-" provides us our posi-
tion. but 81 in you" gives US possession
of all things. And here is the secret
of fruit bearing. Like the twig that
has found a new home and thereby
finds new life, and new fruitage, SO
we "abiding in Him." find him also
abiding In us, living his own life In us,
and producing in us the fruit of the
.good olive tree" And what luscious
fruit II is. 1t is the fruit Of the
Spirit-one fruit, mind you-"love
ioy. peace, long-suffering. gentleness
goodness, faith. meekness, self-con'
troll" Galatians 5 :22). Nine aspects
of one fruit. All nine appear at once
| or not at all.
Ry faith we enter into this blessed
union with the good olive tree" by
faith we abide in him; by faith we
hear the fruitage, and to him be all
the glory.
.Peace be with you all that are In
Christ Jesus" and rejoice that 1T
ia God that worketh in you both to