Life, hope & trust.

“Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.” (John 15:4)

What does it mean to remain in Christ? It means to hope in Christ, lean on Christ, trust in Christ, breathe through Christ.

What is it of us that needs to remain in Christ? The hope of our mind, the trust of our mind, the anchor of our mind, the means of sanity to our mind.

It’s not hard to learn about the Republican Party’s agenda. All you have to do is find someone who hopes and trusts and breathes in their agenda day in, day out, celebrating their accomplishments. Same for the Democratic Party. Likewise, we cannot bear any good in the name of Christ, without hoping and trusting and breathing through his agenda and accomplishments. The gospel speaks the accomplished agenda of Christ. As his ambassadors, our only work is in making known his interests and values. He’s interested in us knowing that we’re forgiven of all our sins. He values that we have such knowledge and live by our hope and trust in Him. The gospel daily paves the way for such to happen by reminding us of the accomplished agenda, the finished work of Christ.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18)

Let’s not condemn ourselves by knowingly rejecting something good. Instead, let our mind be saved and brought to rest and peace and joy by the good news of Jesus.

“Hope in me and my hope will be found in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless its mean of life is the vine, neither can you bear any good unless your hope is in Me.” (Grace version of John 15:4)