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Commentary on "Partnership With Jesus"
Day 1: Sabbath Afternoon, March 19, 2011 - Introduction
Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned (John 15:4-6).
We are called to abide in Christ, to share a light yoke, and to enter Christ’s rest. We are not called to enter a partnership, we are called to rest. Because Christ through the Holy Spirit is literally in us (if we have truly believed), then through us he is able to do good works. That is the fruit by which a believer is measured.
We have to ask ourselves if we are sold out to Christ, if we really have the Spirit in us which we get no matter once we accept Jesus death on the cross for our sins.
Guzik in his commentary of the Bible makes this statement about verse 6:
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered: What was Jesus saying here? There are basically three views regarding what this passage says about the believer's position in Jesus.
- The first view believes cast out branches are ones who, though once true believers, end up in Hell for a lack of fruit. They were once saved, but are now cast out.
- The second view is that the cast out branches are pseudo Christians who never really abided in Jesus, and therefore go to Hell (like Judas).
- The third view sees the branches cast out as fruitless Christians who live wasted - burnt up - lives (like Lot).
Are you any of the three Christian above or are you truly born again? And if you are truly born again do you realize that Jesus owns you and your life because He purchased you on the cross?
You are His, to enable Him to continue His work on the earth through you, is this a partnership or a privilege?
I think it’s a blessed assurance.
That He can work through this broken, fractured, clay and fill me and seal me with His Spirit, and live in me and through me show me that I am of more worth than I ever could have imagined.
How do you see yourself?
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised March 19, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.
Official Adventist Resources
Standard Edition Study Guide Week 13
Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 13
