The Clio messenger., 1920-09-16

MMN HW<W the deity of Christ,
his n a r n tiOn.
atonement through his death, his res
direction, and the necessity of accep-
tance of him by faith as the indispen-
sable condition Of salvation. Such q
situation within the organized church
does not call for a restatement of the
nature and meaning of Christianity. 1t
demands a renewed emphasis upon its
great essential message"
AS proof of this statement the
words OF a prominent religious leader
are quoted, who when speaking on
the missionary's message" declared II
to be "the proclamation of the religion
of Jesus as disclosed In his teaching
and as exemplified in his career" In
amplifying and explaining this decla-
ration no mention is made of Christ
himself, his atoning worH, or of our
relation to him.
This would not give us Christianity
ds 1t was preached by the apostles
and early disciples and as it became a
power In the life of the world. Their
message was not a re-proclamation of
the story of Jesus or q repetition Of
his teachings. 1t emphasized his re-
demptive work in death and resurrec-
tion and the relationship made possi-
BILE thereby between the Redeemer and
the redeemed. II was this that
changed their preaching from a mere
narrative of events to a gospel Of sal
walton. That gospel of salvation in
volved relationship between the ris-
en- Christ and the believer in him,
which is prefigured In our text. This
relationship may be summed up in few
words, the believer is united to Christ
in vital and organic union. AS the
life of the trunk or stock of the tree
becomes the life of the branches, so
Christ becomes the life Of his people
II am the vine, ye are the branches"
Apart from this union, man remains
essentially un-Christian. Christ cam
not be known In satisfying or saving
way except through this union. All
effort to produce Christianity without
this union is fruitless. All modern
counterfeits may be detected by this
test. If they do not ring true to this
relationship, they must be discarded
as cheap substitutes for the real thing.
In teaching this new lesson of vital
union between himself and his people,
our Lord projected himself In thought
into the resurrection sphere. For II
is through his resurrection that the
true vine comes into existence and the
relationship pre-fgured by the vine
and the branches is made possible.
This union with Christ involves union
with him, both In death and resurrec-
tion. 1t was this to which Paul re-
ferred when he uttered the words or
Galatians 2 :20-'I am crucified with
Christ; nevertheless l live; yet not l.
but Christ liveth in me-" This union
answers to every demand and need,
both the divine and human side. The
divine law which had been broken
brought condemnation and death. In
the person of the divine substitute
and Saviour and by virtue Of union
with him the believer died. Then 'like
as Christ was raised from the dead by
| the glory of the father" even so the
believer is raised by virtue of that
same union, and walks "in newness of
life" "If any man be In Christ, he is
a new creature; old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become
| new"
This holy and spiritual relationship
| set forth I'm figure by the vine and
the branches involves responsibility.
AS a matter of fact every new relation
ship creates a new responsibility. The
responsibility of believer Is ex-
pressed In the words Of our text
"Abide In me and l In YOU" That
which counts for most In the Christian
life is quality, the quality Of Christ
likeness, conformity to him In the do
ing of the will of God. Abiding IN him
makes actual what the promise of
John IA 4:23 makes possible-"If man
love me, he will keep my words; and
my father will love him, and we Will
come unto him, and make our abode
with him. Out of this abiding In him
there issues all that is worth while In
the Christian life and experience.
The results Of drscharging this re-
sponsibility are clearly seen In the
context. First there Is the abundant
fruit mentioned in verse 5-"He that
abideth in me and / In him, the same
bringeth forth much fruit" Another
result is recorded In verse z. 1t Is
that of answered prayer. The believer
who abides In Christ learns to pray
according to the divine will and Sc
cures an answer. The third result will
he seen In verse 8. The abiding life
clorifies the father In the fruitage
which It produces. In view Of the be-
lleyer's relation to Christ according to
the scriptures. how puny and puerile
are the modern counterfeits and sub