City Life Starter

And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.

John 15:1-4

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

By Aisha Darwesh

Today’s verse talk about the staying power of faith, hope, and love. The main word that pops out at me as I read 1 Corinthians 13:13 over and over is “remain.” The original Greek word for “remain” is menō, which can also be translated as “abide,” “dwell,” “continue,” “tarry,” and “endure.”

Interestingly, the same word for “remain” is used in John 15:4 when Jesus talks about the vine and the branches. He tells us to remain in Him, and He will remain in us. I love that God uses the word “remain” in the context of relationship. It is only by remaining in Christ that we can produce fruit. In other words, fruitfulness flows out of a love relationship with Christ.

Last Sunday, Mr. Fiddler preached an incredible message on love and what it means practically. It all boiled down to this: Love is a verb. As I’ve observed first hand over the years in my relationship with God and others, I would also say another definition of love is: Love is a choice.

Not only is love a choice, but you could also say that faith is a choice, and hope is a choice. When you decide to walk in faith, hope, and love, then you are walking in the eternal. What you do in faith, hope, and love in Christ will remain.

Whether or not we operate in faith, hope, and love is a decision we have to make day by day. In every situation that arises in our lives, we can decide whether we’ll respond with faith, hope, and love or doubt, fear, and unbelief.

In John 15, Jesus told the disciples that they had been grafted into His family tree–that He is the vine and they were the branches. He goes on to tell them to remain in Him. It leads one to wonder why He would tell them to remain in Him when they were already connected to him. Remain. Abide. It’s a daily decision. It’s not something that can go untended. You might be wondering, how can I remain in Christ? Good question! Thankfully, our Lord in all His wisdom sees fit to provide us with the answer in John 15:10:

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” (John 15:9-12).

When you obey God’s commandments, you remain in His love. Simple, right? But not so easy when God asks you to do something that your flesh is screaming against. However, it’s in those moments, when we choose to obey God despite our feelings or flesh, that we can experience the most blissful closeness and intimacy with Christ. Doing the will of the Father feeds our very souls and yields glorious fruit in our daily lives.

Application

I’m sure might be someone reading this and thinking, “I want to obey God, but how can I be sure what His will is? Another good question! I find the best way to get an idea of God’s will is to read God’s Word.

God’s nature and character can be discovered in the beauty and richness of His Word. He will never ask you to do something that contradicts His Word.

Another way to lead a life characterized by obedience is to surround yourself with godly friends and community. If you are new to the church, try volunteering in an area of ministry you like or attend a City Life Group and get to know other fellow believers.

Finally, what you can do to stay in God’s will is develop your prayer life. Take a few minutes a day and go to a private place. Pour your heart out to God and tell Him what is on your mind. Even if you don’t get the answers you’re looking for in that moment, trust that He is with you and will show you the way. Spend some time in worship and recenter yourself on Christ. Remember all He’s done. He died for you to be set free from sin and death. You can trust Him.

Prayer

Father God, I thank You for empowering me to obey You. It’s my pleasure to live my life in surrender to You and Your ways. Teach me, oh God, the secrets of our covenant. In Jesus Name, Amen.