“OH WHERE IS YOUR CONFIDENCE? (2)”

Post date: Jan 15, 2019 4:45:39 AM

Jesus Christ was about to be arrested, questioned, stripped naked, humiliated, tried, condemned and be crucified openly on a cross, but before all these things will happen to Him, He knew what will also happen to His disciples thereafter, and in preparing their hearts and minds, He called on all the twelve including Judas Iscariot and demanded their confidence in Him and in His words and in His promises with these words: “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and He prunes every branch that does bear fruit so that it will be clean and bear more fruit. You clean already by the teaching I have given you. Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way, you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me. Those who do not remain in me are thrown out like a branch and dry up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it. My Father's glory is shown by your bearing much fruit, and in this way, you become my disciples. I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you.” John 15:1-11

In demanding their confidence, He told them He is the vine and the only source of their success and ability to overcome whatever will came after them in life and in their newfound ministry of preaching His gospel. He concluded by requesting that they remain united to Him and if they do, He will also remain united to and with them. He told them a parable that a branch that desires to bear good fruits cannot do so by itself, it can do so only if it remains in the vine and He told them the same way they cannot bear fruit unless they remain in Him. That is a guaranteed statement based on confidence and He told them clearly, He is the vine, and they are the branches and those who remain in HIm, and He in them, will bear much fruit which was their ultimate desire in life for believing and for following Him, and He told them that despite their best desires, their best dreams, their efforts, their best knowledge, and their best wisdom, and despite whoever will support or abandon or help them; they can do nothing without Him, they cannot succeed without Him and they will not be able to make any progress. He told them the implication of not having confidence and remaining in that confidence, they will be thrown out like a branch and will dry up, gathered up and thrown into the fire and burned. He told them again if they remain in Him with confidence and His words remain in them, they will ask anything they wish, and He gave them the assurance that they shall have whatever they ask because of their confidence. He told them His Father's glory is shown by their bearing much fruits, which is the evidence of their confidence. He assured them of His love just as the Father had loved Him and requested that they remain in His love through obedience to His words and commands. Confidence is a measure of our obedience and the guarantee is God will be joyful of you and our joy will be full. God is about to do something new, something definite and something amazing and He wants you to be part of what He wants to do. The level of your confidence in yourself, in the word of God and the level of your confidence in the promises of God will determine your level of success now and in the future irrespective of the situation and what human being will throw at you. Life is filled with experiences and troubles of various categories but what will make a difference is not the kind of troubles you face but your determination to know the truth, follow the truth, depend on the true, trust the truth, and have confidence in Christ Jesus. Prayer Request Click here