The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-09-30

M&I yOu," The graft
$500 ssssS .ks ed twig must find
place In the
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 1 :27) Is blessedly true.
but not until "of him are We 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 "plen-
teous redemption" In him is life, "the
eternal life" Sin Him." to -um 1t all
up, "dwelleth all the fullness Of the
Godhead bodily" and we are COM
plete 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 a 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 :24).
wild by nature"-that expresses
II. 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 q cumberer Of the
ground, a thing accursed. There is no
hope for this wild" humanity Of ours
1t Is under a curse. Our only hope Is
to be "cut out" of II and grated into
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 We in Christ
Jesus" "By grace are ye saved
through faith, and that not of your
selves; it is the gift of God. not OF
works lest any man boast"
Note, furthermore, that this horti-
cultural surgery is contrary to ma
ture." Ordinarily the horticulturist
CRAFTS good scion into common but
hardy tree. But In this spiritual hor-
tlculture 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. u
die to the old, I live to the new"
Another fact we need to note In this
spiritual surgery. The good tree Is
wounded, wounded expressly for the
graft, and into the wound the twig is
bound fast until 1t grows into its new
place of abiding. Did we not see him
"stricken, smitten Of God and affiict-
ed" wounded for our transgressions
and bruised for our iniquities" And
are we not grated into those very
wounds? Romans 6:5, eff we were
planted (the Greek says grown to-
gether," as q grated twig to the stock)
in the likeness of his death we shall
be In the likeness of his resurrection"
II Is at the cross l come to know
him. 1t is there l find union with him
It is In that everlasting atonement
rest my soul, and rooted In him, grow
ND In him and bear his fruit.
Our Possession.
aye In me-" provides us our posi-
ton, but 81 in you" gives us possession
of all things. And here Is the secret
Of fruit bearing. Like the twig that
has found q new home and thereby
finds new life, and new fruitage, SC
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 IL is. 1t Is the fruit Of the
Spirit-one fruit, mind you-"love
10Y, 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.
By faith we enter into this blessed
union with the "good olive tree" by
faith we abide In him; by faith we
bear the fruitage, and to him be all
the glory.
"Peace be with you all that are In
Christ Jesus" and rejoice that ut
IS God that worketh In you both to
will and to do of his own good pleas
ure."