如何住在基督里

主不断地让我们空虚，为的是教导我们放弃一切自我依赖，以便我们能够只依靠基督。

让我们最后一次打开圣经，翻到约翰福音第 15 章。从第 1 节开始：“我是真葡萄树，我父是栽培的人。凡属我不结果子的枝子，祂就剪去；凡结果子的，祂就修理干净，使枝子结果子更多。现在，你们因我讲给你们的道，已经干净了。你们要常在我里面，我也常在你们里面。枝子若不常在葡萄树上，自己就不能结果子；你们若不常在我里面，也是这样。我是葡萄树，你们是枝子。常在我里面的，我也常在他里面，这人就多结果子；因为离了我，你们就不能做什么。人若不常在我里面，就像枝子丢在外面枯干，人拾起来，扔在火里烧了。你们若常在我里面，我的话也常在你们里面，凡你们所愿意的，祈求就给你们成就。你们多结果子，我父就因此得荣耀，你们也就是我的门徒了。我爱你们，正如父爱我一样。你们要常在我的爱里。你们若遵守我的命令，就常在我的爱里，正如我遵守了我父的命令，常在他的爱里。我将这些事告诉你们，是要使我的喜乐存在你们心里，并叫你们的喜乐可以满足。你们要彼此相爱，像我爱你们一样，这就是我的命令。人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的。你们若遵行我所吩咐的，就是我的朋友了。

让我们在祷告中来到主面前。父啊，我们奉你儿子的名来到你面前，一起参加这最后一次聚会。主啊，我们需要你的帮助，让你的真理得以传播，让你的子民得以造就。主啊，请指引这最后一次聚会的一切。指引我们的言语、我们的思想，主啊。引导我们走上你希望我们走的道路，让我们不仅开始理解这段经文，而且将其应用到我们的生活将成为现实——一种日益增长的现实。主啊，我们知道很多事情，但其中只有很少一部分被应用。主啊，请帮助我们不仅成为圣言的听众，而且成为圣言的实践者，让我们真正得到祝福。主啊，对于那些可能不认识你的人，即使在这段经文中，他们也可能会明白他们非常需要救主。主啊，我奉耶稣的名祈求这一切，阿门。 

在我开始讲道前的最后一次讲道中，我给你们总结了我们一直在学习的所有内容。我觉得在今晚的讲道中没有必要这样做，因为你们应该还记得我们讲过的所有内容的完整总结。实际上，我讲道的笔记是我本应在星期五晚上讲的第一篇讲道。只是它被延长了。我还有六篇讲道，但我认为今晚我们不会讲完所有的内容。 

我们一直在谈论基督徒生活的不可能性。这不是陈词滥调，也不是夸张。基督徒生活若不信奉基督并从他那里汲取精神生活和力量，那绝对是不可能的。在基督徒生活中，基督和福音不是一个元素，而是元素。基督就是一切。当基督教教义和福音真正地被宣扬，而人们却拒绝它时，他们需要知道的是，他们并不是在拒绝一种宗教，他们并不是在拒绝某些原则，而是在拒绝一个人。如果你今天在这里，却对基督教漠不关心，也许你是出于胁迫、操纵，也许你不得不这样做，因为你的父母仍然对你有权威，你在这里，你遵守那些规则，但你的心根本不在这里。要知道：你不是在拒绝一种宗教。你不是在拒绝一套原则。 

现在这样做是非常非常危险的，因为那些抛弃上帝的律法、摩西律法的人将被驱逐。但我希望你知道你在做什么。你对上帝最爱的人——他的儿子——漠不关心。当你拒绝基督教时，要知道，你是在拒绝整个世界为之而生的那一位。还要知道：上帝会严厉地惩罚你，因为你对他儿子的傲慢。要知道，也许在你的人文主义中，也许在你的年轻中，也许在你的愚蠢中，你已经把你的心坚定地反对上帝，而我说的一切都不能让你颤抖。就像一个年轻人曾经说过的：“我不怕站在上帝面前。我会面对他和我的命运。”老牧师告诉他：“年轻人，你会在上帝面前融化，就像一个小小的蜡像在高炉前融化一样。”你骄傲的心只不过表明了你自己的愚蠢。创造物在反对你。你自己也知道，你所拒绝的神正是你要站在的神。所以我想让你们知道，当我讲到这些经文时，今晚这里有两类人。一类人来这里是因为他们爱基督，在爱基督的过程中，他们非常关心如何取悦基督，如何变得更加圣洁。另一类人则不关心圣洁。他们不关心圣洁的原因是他们根本不关心基督。这是一个非常非常危险的处境。

现在，我们要开始了。我们已经看过好几页笔记了。我们也看到了很多东西，但现在我们要把注意力转向一件非常重要的事情。当我们看经文时，我们会看到一些东西。在这篇短文中，一个词出现了十次。它是“遵守”这个词。我一遍又一遍地说过，基督徒在基督徒生活中结出果实的唯一方法就是遵守基督。现在，如果我告诉你这个，我向你解释它的含义是非常重要的。

你知道，传教士以告诉人们该做什么而不告诉他们怎么做而闻名。我记得有一次，当我还是一个年轻的基督徒时，这个男人讲了一个半小时的关于行在圣灵里的必要性的布道。那是一次精彩的布道。它向我幼小的心灵证明了我需要行在圣灵里的。唯一的问题是他从来没有告诉我们那是什么意思。所以礼拜结束后，我走到他面前，无意争论。我对所听到的内容很满意。我认为那非常有启发性。我只是觉得我是一个非常不成熟的基督徒，我不知道行在圣灵里是什么意思，所以我走到他面前说：“先生，哇，那真是太棒了！我在圣经里看到了这一点。我需要行在圣灵里。但是先生，我不知道那是什么意思。”那个人对我很生气。他说了各种各样的话，但他从来没有告诉我行在圣灵里是什么意思。我离开时就像一个年轻的基督徒说，那个人只是告诉我们去做一些他自己不知道如何做的事情。因此，他只是告诉我们去做一些他自己没有实践过的事情。因此，当我们劝告人们做某件事时，我们总是要小心，要能够真正向他们解释它的含义。所以我告诉过你们，基督徒生活中硕果累累的唯一方法就是信靠基督。那是什么意思呢？

首先，在希腊语中，“住”这个词并不复杂。它是“meno”。意思是停留、住下、停留。现在我们用枝子的比喻，你可以看到，枝子必须与葡萄树紧密相连，枝子才能继续生长，甚至结出果实。所以，你我必须与基督紧密相连。

现在，这里有一个硬币的两面，基督教中经常有硬币的两面。一个是立场，另一个是我们的实际经验。现在我想首先从立场上说一下我在上节课中解释的内容。如果你真的是一个基督徒——我不是随便说说的，因为在美国，大多数自称是基督徒的人并不是基督徒，你们当中一些自称是基督徒的人可能不是基督徒。理解这一点非常重要。让我这样说吧，如果你认为自己是一个属肉体的基督徒，你就迷失了。你就是迷失了。基督徒会犯罪吗？是的。基督徒会陷入严重的罪恶吗？当然会。基督徒可以过着没有果实的持续属肉体的生活方式吗？绝对不会。所以，如果你是一个真正的信徒，你就与基督有着至关重要的联系。他是葡萄树。你是枝子。他是头。你是身体。 

我们有许多这样的比喻来表明我们现在与基督所处的独特地位。另一个是圣经经常以位置为单位来谈论领域。例如，你处于亚当的领域。或者你处于基督的领域。你处于谴责的领域。你处于称义的领域。你处于肉体的领域。你处于圣灵的领域。所以如果你是真正的基督徒，你就是一个分支，你与基督有着密切的联系。但我们需要明白的是：在新约中，我们所处的这种地位从未导致我们被动。但它总是促进对这一真理的热情应用；渴望这一真理在我们的生活中得以实现，得以显现。让我用一个很多人都害怕的词：被体验。这是一个真实的现实。在我成为门徒的过程中，有一位直到今天都非常重要的人，他总是用一个词来让我回到中心。他会这样说：是的，保罗，但这是你生活中的现实吗？当他听布道时，他会说：那里有现实。这就是我们正在谈论的。不仅仅是神学假设或神学或命题真理，而是成长中的现实吗？这是你生活中的经历吗？你经历过结出果实吗？你经历过与基督的交流吗？你可以引用我最喜欢的所有信条，但这并不能保证你体验到那里的真理。

现在，作为一名基督徒，我们与基督联合，但在基督徒生活中，圣化是渐进的。我想你们都会同意这一点。它是渐进的。好吧，让我解释一下这是什么意思。当你想到渐进的圣化时，你可能会认为随着你的基督徒生活的成长，你会变得更加神圣，更加神圣，更加神圣——这是真的。这是真的。但很多时候，我们忽略了应该包括的内容。例如，忏悔。你知道忏悔是圣化的对象吗？从某种意义上说，我忏悔是为了得救，但我的忏悔在不断增长——你知道吗？我在救赎的忏悔中不断成长。我现在忏悔得更多。我现在看到更多的罪。我的信仰在不断增长。我的信仰是圣化的对象。曾经有一段时间我相信得救，但在过去的三十年里，这种信仰已经变得神圣。它更深刻。它更强大。这是同样的方式——一个新信徒立即开始结出果实。确实如此。很多时候，在我们生命的最初几个月，我们会看到丰硕的果实。但是，我们应该在结果上不断成长。信徒在他们相信的那一刻，他们就与基督交流，并体验到这一点。上帝的爱在他们心中广为流传。但是，随着他们在基督里成长，这种对上帝之爱、圣灵内住的最初体验应该会增加。它应该变得更加成熟。这并不意味着他们会从一种体验走向另一种体验，或者从一种更大的表现走向另一种更大的表现。但它指的是现实。救赎时发生在我们身上的每一件事，都成为更深刻的现实。它们开始在我们的生活中以更大的方式显现出来。

现在，我要引用 DA Carson 的一个定义。今晚的教学中，我将多次引用他的话，因为他说的一些话绝对令人惊叹。

DA Carson 是一位著名的新约学者，他几乎帮助了每一位关心上帝之言的牧师。但他对“遵守”的定义是这样的：“当枝子被赋予留在葡萄树上的责任时，葡萄树的形象就被延伸了一点。”现在，如果你注意，他说：“我是葡萄树。你们是枝子。”但随后他超越了这个比喻，他告诉我们，我们需要做一些事情来继续遵守。你知道，枝子只是呆在那里，不是吗？但有些事情我们必须做。基本上，我们必须培养我们拥有的这种关系。现在他说：“重点很明确。持续依赖葡萄树，不断依靠他，坚持不懈地吸收精神……”吸收是什么意思？意思是喝，吸收。“……持续不懈地吸收他的生命——这是精神硕果累累的不可或缺的必要行动、条件或要素。”

现在，到目前为止，你知道我在做什么吗？我一直在为这一刻做准备。我一直在试图向你表明，离开基督的生命和力量，你什么也做不了。我也谈了很多关于上帝的旨意——上帝在他的旨意中会给我们带来考验、困难、我们无法克服的事情、我们自己无法忍受的障碍。那么他为什么这样做呢？是因为他恨我们吗？绝对不是。所有这些强风都是为了让你和我相信我们根本做不到。

在基督教宣言中，也就是登山宝训中，赐给我们的第一个美德是：虚心的人有福了。那些深深依靠上帝的人有福了。我们能做什么最荣耀上帝的事情？深深依靠上帝。以色列做过的最不光彩的事情是什么？独立。难道不是这样吗？以色列在旧约下做过的最不光彩的事情就是独立。“我们不需要你。我们可以自己做。”你是否意识到，上帝几乎每一个拯救活动都是在他先使人们失去拯救自己的希望之后才开始的？无论是在埃及的以色列人，还是在监狱中的约瑟，还是在对抗米甸人的基甸——他一直在做什么？他一直在使我们失去自我、自信和自力更生。为什么？这样我们才能完全依靠他而活。你知道这有多么重要吗？

现在你可能会想，“保罗弟兄，继续说下去吧。”不，我不能。就像我两天前举的例子一样，彼得必须跌倒。为什么？他在晚餐中，在逾越节中，做出了那种自力更生、独立的约翰·韦恩式的宣言：虽然所有人都否认你，但我不会。他必须跌倒。撒旦必须筛他，让他跌倒。为什么？为了摆脱它。（听不清楚）看看这个！伟大的彼得，磐石，在一个小女仆面前否认基督。这是必要的。一些老传教士曾经说过，基督花了三年时间清空门徒，这样他就可以一秒钟在五旬节填满他们。我的意思是，上帝可以这样填满你。清空的部分是有问题的。所以他一直在这样做，不断地把东西送到我们身边来清空我们。但是为了让我们依附他；依附他。

现在，遵守有三个方面，因为我刚刚告诉过你，你需要依靠基督。你需要放下自我依赖和独立，你需要依靠基督。但现在你可能会说，如果你是一个思想家，好吧，但是你又该怎么做呢？嗯，这有三个方面。我将采用 DA Carson 的部分定义，并将其用于这三个方面。首先，遵守基督是通过持续依赖他的话语，不断服从他的话语，坚持不懈地吸收他的话语的精神。现在看第 7 节。第 15 章 7 节，“你们若常在我里面，我的话也常在你们里面……”现在看第 10 节，“你们若遵守我的命令，就常在我的爱里，正如我遵守了我父的命令，常在他的爱里。”现在，你知道那首老歌里唱的：“信靠并服从，因为除了信靠和服从，没有别的方法，在耶稣里得到快乐”？好吧，这听起来可能有点陈词滥调，但让我和你分享一些东西。信靠并服从。没有别的方法在耶稣里得到快乐。对不起。我知道你生活在这样一种文化中，你可以走进每一家基督教书店，找到一千本书，告诉你如何做到这一点的十个步骤。对不起。这里那里的快速解决方案，微波基督教，瞬间这个那个——不，我的朋友。你收到了一本我敢说我们大多数人都鄙视的书。你说，“我不鄙视它。” 

让我和你分享一些事情。你曾经做过街头传教士吗？你知道有什么比人群转过头来对你发火更糟糕的吗？你知道什么比这更糟糕吗？他们完全忽视你。你站在那里传道，他们从你身边走过好几个小时，好像你根本不存在一样。我生命中曾经有一段时间，我真的以为自己是隐形的。不，你对我做的最坏的事情就是鄙视我，忽视我；我甚至不值得争论。现在你看到对上帝之言的忽视了吗？你看，我们总是在想，力量在哪里？或者你看到一个男人或一个女人似乎结出了果实，充满了力量和热情，你想找到他们的秘密。问题是没有秘密，当他们给你答案时，你不会喜欢的。那是什么？我没有自己的智慧或理解力。如果没有上帝的话语，我不知道如何从卧室走到浴室。这个世界是一个充满危险的雷区。我没有心灵感应能力，无法辨别所有地雷都藏在哪里。但我有一张地图。我不知道如何辨别上帝的事物，但我已在圣经中得到真理。亲爱的朋友，如果你在等待发现一些对你来说完全是全新的关于如何信靠耶稣的东西，我很抱歉。我很抱歉！但最重要的是，他已经给了你他的话语。我再次回到老约翰·班扬。他们说，如果你割断他的血管，他就会流出圣经。

关于石脸，有一个古老的故事，以不同的方式流传；据说，有一个人会来拜访一个小镇，为小镇带来福祉，他的脸就像是石头上天然形成的脸。每个人都在等待这个人，后来一个小男孩出生了，他一直听到这个故事，有一天会有人来拯救这个小镇，他一直看着那块石头，看着那块石头，看着那块石头，直到生命结束时，他意识到自己已经成为了那张脸，他就是帮助小镇的人。我们只是进入了圣言，进入了圣言，进入了圣言，进入了圣言。甚至不寻求被圣言改变，只是认识到圣言的重要性并生活在圣言中。最终，在我们不知情的情况下，我们开始呈现出它的特征。你看到了吗？

让我举个例子——一个相当粗俗、陈腐、常见的例子。假设你来找我，你的额头上有一个大斑点，只是一团血块。你对我说，保罗兄弟，我看过世界上所有的医生。没有人能弄清楚我为什么会有这个。你能试着向主祈祷，让他给你智慧，让你知道为什么我的额头上有这个斑点吗？我说，好吧，我不是医生，但当然，我会为此祈祷。但有一天我决定更实际一点，我决定跟踪你 24 小时。我注意到凌晨 1 点——时钟敲响 1 点，你从床上起来，你的额头撞到了砖墙上一次，然后又回到床上。然后我一看，已经 2 点了。你在 2:00 钟声准时起床，用额头撞了两下石墙，然后回到床上。现在，我注意到，在一天中，你每过一小时，就会用头撞墙很多次。24 小时后，我来到你身边，对你说：听着，我不是医生，但我想我已经解决了你的问题。如果你不再在每次钟声敲响时用头撞墙，我想你的头会好起来的。你说，这太荒谬了。我也对你说同样的话。你忽视了圣经。我很抱歉。然后，你知道福音派在美国做了什么吗？它已经顺从了你的肉体。如果我听到过一次，我就会听到一千次，基督教的人们、教师、牧师和所谓的教育者说：我们不再生活在人们能集中注意力五分钟的文化中，所以我们必须给他们一些关于基督教的简短话语。你知道我们做了什么吗？我们是第一批相信圣经的基督徒——历史上第一批不再相信我们的文化要顺从书本的基督徒。我们现在正试图让基督教顺从文化。我说，如果我们的文化变得太愚蠢，以至于连半个小时的阅读都做不到，那么在教堂里我们不会屈服于此，而是开始教人们如何思考、如何阅读、如何冥想，关掉电视，关掉无聊的谈话，投入到书中。

让我和你们分享一些关于西方文化的事情。在这里我要非常小心，但我只想提出一些观察，以帮助您了解自己。你们知道每个人都说西方文化是这个，西方文化是那个。我们不应该试图将西方文化应用于其他文化。让我和你们分享一些关于西方文化的事情。西方文化与美洲和西欧有关。我想你们都熟悉这个——西方文化。在基督教出现之前，西方文化意味着我们是一群生活在北欧的部落民族，赤身裸体四处奔跑，把自己涂成蓝色，互相吞食。这就是西方文化。那么是什么改变了西方文化？基督教的出现。是的。由于基督教，我们不再崇拜树枝、溪流、蟋蟀、斧头和号角。我们开始了解活着的上帝，我们开始根据活着的上帝来理解创造。我们的文化开始改变。欧洲文学、艺术、音乐和一切事物的巅峰都归功于基督教的出现，基督教的出现改变了一群涂着蓝色颜料的野蛮人。这就是基督教所做的。但现在，因为我们拒绝了基督教，我们拒绝了基督教的上帝，我们又一次变成了食人族野蛮人。哦，是的，我们可以用电脑和技术做各种各样的事情。我们在 IT 方面很出色，但我们正在变成不道德的野兽。现在我想说的是：你想要一些快速解决方案。快速解决方案是：用你的一生在上帝的话语中更新你的思想。坚持上帝的话语，就好像你的生命取决于它，因为，先生，我可以向你保证，它确实如此！

我这样说吧，DA 卡森写道：“‘你们若常在我里面’就等于遵行耶稣所吩咐的一切。这些话必须（我很喜欢这句话）这些话必须深深地印在门徒的心中，使效法基督、顺服基督成为世界上最自然的事。”现在，你看，没有圣经你就无法达到这个境界。让我再读一遍。“这些话……”这就是基督的教导。“……必须深深地印在门徒的心中，使效法基督、顺服基督成为世界上最自然的事。”现在，这将如何发生？

现在，让我们回到我非常喜爱的事物——上帝的律法。智慧之书。我们反复看到的是什么？申命记中的国王应该做什么？他应该把律法的所有字句都写下来。为什么？为了练习他的书法？绝对不是。那些字句可能会牢牢地留在他的心中和脑海中。当你读圣经并进行这样的研究时，你会觉得很有趣：你如何根据圣经来研究圣经？你知道你实际上只会找到一些参考资料来研究吗？你知道吗？你知道最重要的部分是什么吗？记忆和冥想。把上帝的话语放在你的心中。正如我认识的一位我非常喜爱的老传教士所说的：“伙计们，这不是火箭手术。”它的意思是火箭科学或脑部手术，但他将两者结合起来。他说，“这不是火箭手术。”很简单。你拿起神的话语，不断阅读、研究，即使你不理解，你也不在乎，继续努力，因为你的生命取决于它。就像我那天晚上说的，你们中的一些人会说：“好吧，我不是一个读书的人。”是的，但是如果你的公司给你提供一份工作，薪水是你现在薪水的两倍或三倍，但你却要背诵一本 600 页的手册，我保证你会日夜不停地背诵。你的妻子会和你一起给你倒咖啡，鼓励你，因为她想要一套新的卧室家具。你的孩子们会说：“嘻嘻，爸爸万岁！加油爸爸！加油爸爸！”我们会为了钱这样可怜的东西做这样的事情。去买印有重要设计师名字的傻衣服。多么可怜的人啊。然而，我们会让永恒从我们手中溜走，甚至不动一根手指。

现在，这是什么样子？我想给你们读一些对我非常有帮助的经文。但现在，我希望你们听这些经文，就好像你们以前从未听过一样。这通常非常有帮助。我知道有一位老牧师，他每三年会换一本圣经。他会花三年时间通读整本圣经，做笔记，在书页上写满笔记、笔记、笔记，然后他会把那本圣经放在书架上，再买一本新圣经，因为他想在没有笔记的情况下重新聆听神的话语。他希望上帝重新对他说话。现在，听听这些，就好像你以前从未听过一样。因为现在你可能把它当作陈词滥调——一首毫无意义的新约诗歌。但我希望你听这些，就好像你必须认真对待它一样。现在这是道成肉身的上帝在说话——耶稣基督。 “耶稣却回答说：‘经上记着说：人活着，不是单靠食物，乃是靠神口里所出的一切话。’”我知道你们在某种意义上相信这一点。但在某种意义上，你们根本不相信这一点。耶稣说，你们生活的方方面面都要由神的话语来管理、激励、遵从和赋予力量。让我问你们一个问题，你们这些已婚的人。你们花了多少时间在圣经中研究婚姻？我的意思是，这是你们在这个地球上最重要的关系。你们在做圣经里说的吗？你们在寻求你们的婚姻要符合神口里所出的一切话吗？当你知道神的话语说什么时，婚姻就已经够难的了。当你甚至不知道神的话语说什么时，婚姻会困难多少呢？

有时我会问音乐总监。你知道，我会去一个教堂，那里有一个大型音乐节目，我会问他们这个问题：你是敬拜领袖吗？是的。你研究过从创世纪 1 章到启示录的敬拜吗？嗯，没有。那么你怎么知道你所做的是讨神喜悦的呢？你怎么知道？可悲的是，现在他们说，这根本无关紧要。这基本上取决于你的感受。不，不是。不，不是。你的穿着——我知道我现在听起来像 1950 年代的原教旨主义传教士，不是吗？ 

但是让我问你一个问题：你的穿着方式——你是否曾经向上帝求助于圣经：我应该做什么？你的说话方式、你的人际关系、你参与和不参与的事情？看看他说了什么：你们活着不是单靠食物，而是靠上帝口里所出的一切话。你知道清教徒的天才是什么吗？现在，我并不完全同意清教徒的一切观点。他们是男人，但你知道他们的天才是什么吗？他们真诚地寻求将他们生活的方方面面都与上帝的话语相一致。现在，像我们所有男人一样，他们在某些方面失败了。他们在某些方面走得太远或走得不够远。但他们是这个星球上少数几个说生活的各个方面都必须符合上帝书面文字的民族之一。我们不相信这一点！事实上，我们现在生活在一种文化中，它只是相信一个不确定的耶稣，然后做任何你自己认为正确的事情。不，我亲爱的朋友，听着！你看，你不害怕。你确实相信自己。你每天都按照你认为正确的方式行事，这证明了这一点。不要那样做！住在基督里就是问，主啊，我生活在一个堕落的世界。从某种意义上说，即使我已经重生，我的身体仍然有堕落的成员——甚至是一个堕落的思想。我生活在一个堕落的世界。我在敌后。智慧不是与我一起诞生的。它不会随着我而死。我必须拿起这本书。我再次回到《天路历程》。这是这本书。这本书引导了他。这本书。

听听这段经文。他告诉约书亚，“只要刚强，大大壮胆。谨守遵行我仆人摩西所吩咐你的一切律法，不可偏离左右。”你知道吗，一般的福音派人士对律法的了解还不够，无法确定自己是否偏离了律法。真的。我们谈论服从，但在服从之前必须先有知识。人们对上帝的话语如此忽视，以至于我们甚至不知道自己何时在不服从中行走。这就是为什么我们可以在所谓的地方教会中做出可怕的事情，甚至没有为此感到内疚。我们甚至不知道上帝的旨意是什么。“使你无论去哪里，都可以顺利。这律法书……”现在，让我们暂时从字面上理解一下。不是荒谬的，而是字面上的。“这律法书不可离开你的口，总要昼夜思想。” 

好的，让我问你一个问题。你的十分钟安静时间是否满足了这个命令？我的意思是，人们会吹嘘说“我有安静的时间”。好吧，请你给我描述一下。“嗯，你知道，15 分钟在圣经里。”“15 分钟在祷告里。”无论你做了什么努力，我都会为你鼓掌，但不要沾沾自喜。他说的是这句话，“这不可离开你的口，总要昼夜思想，好使你谨守遵行这书上所写的一切话。这样，你的道路就可以亨通，你就可以成功。”现在，这不应该在电视布道者的背景下进行解释。它不是在说：然后你会在经济上繁荣昌盛。它的意思是，然后你会在神的旨意中繁荣昌盛，成为他有用的仆人。这就是多结果子的意思。所以，住在基督里就是接受他的教导和学习的礼物，去遵循它。

现在，正如我们在第 12 节中看到的，“这是我的命令，你们要彼此相爱，就像我爱你们一样。”现在让我说几件事，我想在这里做一个平衡。我不想把孩子和洗澡水一起倒掉。我想解释一下。与上帝的命令有关的一切的最终目的是：尽心、尽性、尽意、尽力爱主你的上帝，爱你的邻居如同爱你自己。这就是一切的最终目的。正如我之前所说，基督教主要不是一种伦理或道德主义的宗教。我们不仅仅是遵守规则。我们不是。我们要与活着的上帝建立亲密的关系，全心全意地爱他，与人们建立亲密的关系，全心全意地爱他们，向他们展示上帝向我们展示的怜悯。这就是律法的实现。但话又说回来，我们是生活在一个非常扭曲的文化中的一群人。智慧并非在你肉身出生时就与生俱来，我想告诉你，智慧并非在你灵性出生时就与生俱来。智慧是后天习得的。现在你已经成为基督徒，你就有能力获得智慧。但智慧是必需的。

过去几年，每当我谈论上帝的律法、上帝的诫命时，每个人都会皱起眉头，非常生气。他们说：“我们摆脱了律法。”“我们摆脱了律法。”我在想，还有谁知道那是什么意思？摆脱了律法。“律法与我们无关。绝对无关！我们自由了！”自由什么？“自由地做任何我们想做的事。我们相信耶稣。我们可以自由地做任何我们想做的事。”好吧，等等。首先，一个没有皈依的人——大多数自称是基督徒的人都是这样的——他们有这样的教导（我可以自由地做任何我想做的事），但他们的心没有改变，所以他们的心充满了世俗的、肉欲。所以他们每个星期天都去教堂，在赞美礼拜中敬拜上帝，然后他们整个星期都过着令人憎恶的生活。 

让我们弄清楚我们在这里所说的。现在让我问你一个问题，当它说我们摆脱了律法时，你认为这意味着什么？我们不再需要服从上帝？还是意味着我们应该彼此相爱？但这里面有一个大问题。人们对爱有一些非常扭曲的看法。那么我们在说什么？如果我们说我们甚至不需要律法，我们不需要考虑它，我们不需要阅读它或做任何事情，那么你知道我们必须做什么吗？我们必须把诗篇剪下来扔掉。你意识到了吗？因为诗篇——看看它。“我喜悦你的律法。”“你的训词是真实的。”我们要做什么？或者就像有人在我主持的一次会议上说的那样。那是一次会议，我当时正在谈论律法，有个人举手说：“我们不受律法约束，而你们却想让我们受压迫我们的律法的束缚……”我说：“哇。”我说：“好的，让我问你一个问题。你刚刚告诉我，上帝的律法是压迫性的，它限制你，约束你，让你受束缚。好的。让我们回顾一下一些律法，你告诉我其中哪一条限制了你做你想做的事。”让我们看看：除了我以外，你不可有别的神。你为此生气了吗？因为这限制了你不可以有别的神？让我们再试试另一个。你不可偷邻居的妻子。这对你来说是压迫吗？你不可撒谎。我把我记得的所有上帝的律法都讲了一遍，最后我坐在那里，那个人开始瘫坐在椅子上，因为他知道发生了什么。我说，如果这些美好的律法压迫你，限制你真正想做的事情，你是什么样的邪恶之人？你明白吗？

现在，当他说我们脱离了律法的束缚时，这意味着所有那些详细的献祭律法，所有这些事情都在基督身上得到了实现。这是其中的一部分，但最重要的部分是：律法说这样做才能活下去。现在，我想告诉你一些事情。那不是坏事。那不是罪恶——那句话。但你看，我们被束缚，因为我们不能做那些事。因此我们不能活下去。因此，我们应该死。因为我们已经违反了所有的律法。我们摆脱了律法的诅咒。那不是因为律法不好，而是因为我们本来就很坏。我们摆脱了它，因为基督已经成全了律法，代替我们死了。所以我们不是靠律法称义的。我们不应该成为墨守成规的人，也不应该试图用我们所有的规则来杀死别人。但事实上，我喜欢上帝的律法。我喜欢《箴言》这本书。我甚至对《旧约》中的诫命感到兴奋，它说你应该在房子的屋顶周围建一道篱笆。 

有人说，你家屋顶周围有围栏吗？没有。那么，你违反了那条法律吗？没有。你看，你必须明白它的意思。你家屋顶周围建有围栏，因为在那个时代，大多数人——尤其是在夏天——都住在屋顶上。你家屋顶周围建有围栏，是因为你爱你的邻居，你不想让他从屋顶上掉下来。事实上，我们国家关于财产和他人福利的一些普通法都是基于这条法律。我没有发现法律中有什么令人不快的。我可以从中得到快乐。箴言和法律本身的智慧保护了我的婚姻，告诉我如何养育我的孩子。所以如果你告诉我：华许，不要让我受法律的束缚，我会问，你到底想做什么？你明白了吗？

那么我们如何住在基督里呢？住在基督里并不是仅仅通过服从上帝的话语而完成的。因为我们的关系远不止于此。但是住在基督里不能与他的话语、他的命令和对他的服从分开。那是什么呢？罗马书 12:2？在上帝的话语中更新我们的思想。这不是很神奇吗？你们中的一些人本周来到这里，你们可能以前没有来过这个教堂，你们会发现，他们在礼拜中读圣经太多了。只是坐在那里听他们读一整章，有点无聊。这对你来说意味着什么？这对当代基督教意味着什么？圣经甚至没有被阅读，而提摩太前书恰恰说应该公开阅读。看到了吗？我们今天的基督教如此软弱的原因是我们忽视了圣经。

现在听听诗篇 1:2-3。“义人惟喜爱耶和华的律法，昼夜思想。他要像一棵树栽在溪水旁，按时候结果子，叶子也不枯干。凡他所作的，尽都顺利。”结果子——你明白了吗？当耶稣教导时，请理解我，这不是抄袭，好吗？因为他写了旧约。但他的大部分福音教导都直接取自他在旧约中所说的话。你明白吗？他一直在谈论结果子。每次他谈论它时，都与他的话语、与上帝的话语有关。

年轻人，你们来找我，说，保罗弟兄，我一直在听你的布道。我想要成长。我想要被神使用。我应该怎么做？我总是告诉他们罗伯特·默里·麦克切恩。他们会说，“罗伯特·默里·麦克切恩。他是谁？”他是一个 28 岁时去世的年轻人。可能比那个年龄的任何人都更圣洁。他有一个阅读清单。他每年阅读两次新约，每年阅读一次旧约。这样做。得到他的阅读清单。这样做。一遍又一遍地阅读圣经。如果你是一个全新的信徒，你知道，我不会告诉你你应该读一点。伙计，如果你是一个新信徒，你可能很热心。每天阅读圣经几个小时。吸收它。你想被神使用吗？证明这一点。你想多产吗？证明这一点。哦，我亲爱的朋友，过去三十年我唯一的遗憾不是我研究圣经太多，而是我让自己太过分心。所以，信靠基督就是信靠他的话语。让我们的生活充满他的话语，并努力服从他。

现在，我们来谈谈第二件事。住在基督里是通过持续的——现在准备好——持续的依靠祷告，持续的依靠祷告，通过祷告持续的精神吸收耶稣基督的生命和力量。现在让我引用 DA Carson 的话。“经文表明（这令人难以置信——这很有力量）经文表明，葡萄树意象中的果实代表了奉耶稣的名有效祈祷的一切成果。”现在，我想让我们看看第 7 节。这节非常有趣。他说：“你们若常在我里面，我的话也常在你们里面，凡你们所愿意的，祈求就给你们成就。”看第 16 节。“不是你们拣选了我，是我拣选了你们，并且分派你们去结果子，叫你们的果子常存，使你们奉我的名，无论向父求什么，他就赐给你们。”现在，让我们看看这一点。这非常重要。这里有很多奥秘，我无法向你们解释。没有人能解释。事实上，如果你遇到一个能做到这一点的人，就远离他们。他们是异教徒。这段经文中有一些神秘之处。这是那些你只能相信上帝的话的经文之一。因为如果你试图让这段经文符合某种思想体系，你就会解释这段经文。而你不想这样做。

现在，令人惊奇的是，在这两段经文中，他都在谈论祷告，而且是在结果子的背景下。要成为一个多结果子的基督徒，祷告是绝对必要的——以耶稣的名义祷告；相信上帝的祷告（听不清楚）。但我也希望你注意一点。在第 7 节中，他说：“你们要常在我里面，我的话也常在你们里面。”那么我们在这里看到的是什么？（不完整的思考）我们看到的不是这个——我们看到的不是一个忽视上帝之言的人，他的思想根本没有更新。我们不是在谈论一个没有基督之心的人。好吗？我们不是在谈论一个忽视上帝之言然后只问一大堆东西的人。因为通常他们所要求的东西都是世俗的，不符合上帝的旨意。但我们谈论的是住在基督里的人，他住在基督的话语里，基督的话语住在他里面。那是什么呢？我们谈论的是，一个人通过不断吸收上帝的话语，不断汲取上帝的话语，上帝的话语不断更新他们的思想，他们开始发展什么？基督的思想。他们开始知道，正如罗马书 12:1-2 所说，他们开始知道上帝的旨意是什么。这难道不奇妙吗？他说你可以更新你的思想，这样你就可以知道上帝的旨意是什么。好吗？

现在……什么是祷告？约翰·派博称它为战争对讲机。我同意他的观点。事实上，我很难将祷告与我们在天国的地位分开看待。大多数人对祷告的看法完全错误。你认为祷告是：我认为我有需要，我请求上帝满足它。这不是祷告的背景。祷告的背景在哪里为我们阐明？在马太福音第 6 章。耶稣说：这样祷告。现在请仔细听。不要把它变成陈词滥调。我们在天上的父……现在，让我们看看这一点。你谈到了完美的祷告心理学？看看他称呼上帝的方式。我们的父。哇！这体现了亲密的关系，不是吗？ 

但接着他又说：你们的父是天上的神，你们应该这样对待他。你们许多年轻人在成长过程中，对年龄、权威或任何东西都没有丝毫的尊重。我曾经在一所非常非常有名的传教士的学校上学。（不完整的思考）我要提到他的名字。约翰·麦克阿瑟。我在那里，在马斯特学院教了两天书。我四处走动，心想：哇！约翰·麦克阿瑟来了。我想知道我是否能见到他。我五十岁了！我希望我能见到他。这是一种荣幸！17岁的小学生走到我面前说：“嘿！保罗兄弟！你见过约翰吗？”我会问，“什么？”“约翰！”“约翰是谁？”“嗯，约翰！约翰·麦克阿瑟。”我会看着他们说，“我五十岁了。我曾与基督一起走过地狱。我为基督的事业受过苦。我身上有很多战场伤，我绝不会直呼他的名字。”我们再也没有荣誉感了。当我们来到上帝面前时，要非常小心，“阿爸”这个概念，父亲的意思是“爸爸”。这种解释并不正确。它确实表达了亲密关系，但没有表达“爸爸”。不行。对不起。在语言上，它行不通。这首歌可能很适合当代基督教歌曲，但行不通。它不符合圣经，因为它没有表达亲密关系的其他方面，也就是敬畏。

现在，他说：“我们在天上的父……”所以这种亲密和敬畏的完美平衡。然后他说——这是所有祷告的背景——“愿人都尊你的名为圣”。他在那里说的是：愿你的名特别。愿你的名独一无二。这基本上是玛拉基书。愿他的名在列国中从日出到日落被尊为大。你又来了——耶稣引用了旧约，但没关系，他写了它。整个想法是：我的整个祷告，我的整个祷告生活，我要问你的每件事，都将在这样的背景下进行：我最大的愿望是愿你的名被尊为至高无上；愿你的国降临，愿你的旨意成就。这是所有祷告的背景。如果你没有这个背景，你就不是在祷告。

所以，当我们谈到向天父祈求东西时——很多年以来，正如你们中的一些人所知，我的髋关节已经置换过，我的手腕是金属的，我经历了巨大的痛苦和其他一切，我想诚实地告诉你们。我祈求上帝治愈我。在某种程度上，他做到了。在过去的一年里，他真的帮助了我。但我想让你们看到的是，那个祈祷的背景是：上帝，治愈我。我伤得很重。是这样的：如果通过我的康复，你的名将得到至高无上的尊重，你的王国将得到更大的发展，上帝的旨意将得到推进和服从，那么请治愈我的身体。但如果不，那么让我在这种痛苦中死去，只要你的王国到来。所以我们对上帝的所有请求都是在我们最大的愿望的背景下，那就是他的荣耀和他的王国的进步。现在你在祈祷。这不仅仅是：我有想要的。我有需要。我有愿望。而是：只要能给你带来荣耀。正是在这种背景下，怀着基督的心意，我们开始祷告。请注意这个祷告：“奉我的名祈求”。你在祈求什么？你在祈求结出果实。你在祈求真正的果实。而开始发生的事情是，你开始在整个等式中消失。主啊，我是一个工具。这不是关于我。这是关于你。主啊，如果通过这次考验，你的王国会前进，请允许我继续留在其中。只在工作完成之前带走它。主啊，我生命中的一切都是为了一件事：你的王国的进步。因此，在这种背景下，我们祷告。

你知道，我参加过教堂的祷告会，说实话，这足以让你心碎。这足以让你心碎。听起来就像是医学会议。确实如此。现在，我知道我们需要为病人祈祷。我知道这一点，但我参加过美国的祷告会，45 分钟里，他们甚至没有祷告。只是人们站起来分享病人的情况。其中很大一部分只是八卦。人们想谈论一些事情。然后我想，四十亿人还没有听到清晰的福音。我们的信徒在伊朗遭到屠杀。我们的王国里发生了所有这些事情。我们唯一能祈祷的就是胆囊。 

我的意思是，有些事情非常不对劲。我们想知道为什么上帝不在我们的祷告会上来看望我们？你不是在为国度祷告。如果你先寻求国度，他会照顾你如此专注的所有其他小事。所以，如果你想要多结果子，你必须祷告。你必须阅读圣经并祷告，上帝，让我多结果子，让我多结果子。当你开始理解上帝的旨意时——例如，上帝的旨意是天下每一个生物都听到上帝的话语，听到福音。所以你祷告并禁食，有一天你接到一个电话，你发现整个国家都向你开放，支持他们的传教士。这就是祷告。你为那些对福音坚定不移的家人祷告。你祷告并禁食，然后有一天，根据歌罗西书 4:1-4，一扇宏伟的大门向你打开了。教会有需要。它不能离开。它有问题。有些事情需要解决。你把脸埋在地板上。你向上帝呼喊，寻求伟大的解脱。你的生活中有一种罪恶，是一种无法摆脱的罪恶。你用祷告、禁食、阅读圣经来迎击它，你就会看到胜利的到来。这就是我们所说的祈祷。需求永远不会减少，但当你今天去听人们祈祷时，一切都是关于他们的。一切都是关于他们的需要。就像一位老圣人瑞文希尔曾经说过的那样，我们花在祈祷圣人离开天堂的时间比祈祷罪人进入天堂的时间要多。

现在，我说当我们在王国的背景下祈祷时，当我们的思想得到更新，以至于我们知道上帝的旨意是什么时，上帝就会回应我们的祈祷，但我想在这里非常谨慎，因为你可能会误解我的意思。有一种基本观念，特别是在改革派人士中，就是这样的：上帝按照他的旨意回应每一个祈祷，但做任何事情都不是上帝的旨意。现在他们不会这么说，但这基本上就是实践。一切都归咎于上帝的旨意。这是上帝的旨意，上帝的旨意。哦，那个国家完全没有基督？上帝的旨意，因为如果上帝想要某事发生，他就会做些什么。 

这不是新约圣经的语言。虽然这可能是一个非常精确的阵营和神学体系的语言，但它不是新约圣经的语言，也不是我们声称属于的祖先的语言。这不是爱德华兹的语言。这不是怀特菲尔德的语言。这不是司布真的语言。这不是威廉·凯里的语言。这不是清教徒的语言。我想告诉你，祈祷中有一个奥秘，我不在乎说这句话是否会成为我一生中最后一次改革会议，因为如果你拒绝这一点，你就不是改革的——你是畸形的。那就是：上帝在世界奠基之前就已经注定了一切。他知道万物的结局，而不是因为他透过时间的长廊看到了事情会如何发展。我不知道是谁发明了这一点——我想看看他的时间长廊，因为它不在圣经里。上帝知道万事万物的结局，知道一切将如何结束，这并不是因为他看透了时间的长廊。而是因为他是历史的创造者。一切都将按照他所注定的那样结束。 

好吗？你会说，哇，这句话说得真有道理。是的，我相信这是符合圣经的。但我也相信雅各说的也是对的。“你们得不着，是因为你们不求。”那位国王被赐予了一套箭，用来砸在地板上。如果他把箭砸在地板上，并表现出对耶和华的热情，那么事情就会比现在好得多。我无法把这两件事放在一起，你猜怎么着，这不是我的工作。也不是你的工作。我被要求活出任何赋予我的真理，意识到如果上帝存在，而且他的思维方式远远高于我，那么我为什么认为我应该能够理解他告诉我的一切？我知道，他主宰一切。我也知道，我们得不着，是因为我们不求。 

我可以诚实地告诉你，很多时候，当我面对一个没有福音的国家或民族时，我向上帝呼喊：上帝，你想做什么？你想做什么？你想让我做什么？我愿意做任何事情，只要告诉我你想让我做什么。最让我印象深刻的事情，随着我年龄的增长——所以我说的不是年轻人的热情——当我问：主啊，你想让我做什么？答案似乎是：好吧，你能相信我什么？你想做什么？你想把这件事做到多远？我告诉你，我是个狂野的人。这几乎就像上帝在说：你想发疯吗？你想把这件事做到极致吗？我和你在一起。我们走吧。我认为许多改革派人士认为上帝不想做任何事，如果我们要他做任何事，我们必须把他拉进来。我要告诉你，我的朋友，上帝比教会跑得快得多。它不是试图让他赶上你，而是试图让你赶上他。但你看，有一种信仰的感觉。阅读圣经会带来一种信仰的感觉。研究老人和他们的生活方式也会带来一种信仰的感觉。

我记得有一次，我还是个年轻的传教士。我从传教区回来，非常疲惫。我被邀请去教堂。他们想让我演讲。他们做了一个问答环节。他们在教堂的不同过道上放了麦克风。我回答了问题。一个年轻的红头发男孩——我永远不会忘记这件事——他最多只有 10、12 岁，或者其他什么。他走到麦克风前。他排了一整晚队，问了这个问题。他说：“沃舍先生？”我说：“是吗？”他说：“在你让秘鲁的每个人都信耶稣之后，你打算做什么？”除了我和他之外，每个人都笑了。我说：“好吧，儿子，我想当我让秘鲁的每个人都信耶稣之后，我就得去找另一个国家了，不是吗？”我在圣经中找不到任何地方提到世界范围内的复兴。对不起，我没有找到。我没有在圣经中看到任何地方说整个民族不能来到耶稣面前。我没有在圣经中看到任何地方说我必须在死前看到每个人至少听过一次福音。我所策划的一切——我知道这些策划的背后是上帝的主权；我知道 1689 年和威斯敏斯特——我所策划和祈祷的一切都没有被上帝拒绝，因为它太大了。当你在关注王国的进步并且你正在更新你的思想时，你可以相信他所做的任何事情，你可以相信他所做的任何事情。

让我举个例子：HeartCry。人们请我做 HeartCry 的演讲。我想让大家知道，这不是过去做过这些事情的老古董。我无法告诉你他拯救了我们多少次。在 HeartCry，我们的财务原则基于乔治·穆勒的孤儿院原则。我们不筹集资金。我们不要求钱。我们不会公开我们的需求。如果教堂请我们来解释我们在传教中做什么，我们会来解释我们目前正在做什么，而不是如果我们有更多的钱我们会做什么。 

不是这个圣诞节，而是去年圣诞节，除了我这个财务人员和一位董事会成员，没有人知道。那是 12 月 31 日。我们有 15 万美元的赤字。这并不意味着我们欠了别人 15 万美元。这只是意味着我们超出预算花了这么多钱，基本上一无所有。好吗？没有人知道。没有人知道。但就在几天前，上帝告诉我们，我们觉得我们应该在亚洲做一件非常疯狂的事情，于是我们做了。我们接手了大约 45 名传教士的工作，我不知道那是什么，但我们知道情况就是这样。但我们知道，上帝想要到达亚洲。上帝希望亚洲的每个人都听到福音。这已经打开了。这是符合圣经的。这些人很可靠。我们要去做。没有人知道。我在书房里。那是 12 月 31 日。那是一年的最后一天。现在是早上 10:00。我正在学习上帝的话语，并在祷告中消除我的忧虑。凯文（我们的财务人员）进来了。他的眼睛有点泪汪汪的。我说：“凯文，出了什么问题？”他说：“嗯，有人刚刚寄了 60,000 美元——我不知道是谁。”我说：“真的吗？”他说：“是的。”他说：“一张支票。是 60,000 美元。”于是我们跪下来。我们感谢上帝。我回到我的圣经学习。他回到他的电脑前。十二点他进来了。我记不清确切的数字，但（听不清楚）已经有一段时间了。他进来了。他的眼睛有点泪汪汪的。我说：“凯文，出了什么问题？”有人刚刚寄了 100,000 美元。我说：“你在开玩笑。”他说：“不，有人刚刚寄了……”我说：“你的意思是 60 和 40。”他说：“不，6 万和 10 万。有人刚寄了 10 万美元。”我说：“谁？”他说：“我不知道。”好吧。我们回去。两点钟他进来了。他脸色苍白。我说：“凯文，发生什么事了？”他说：“嗯，我们收到了一张 6 万美元的支票。”“我知道。”“不，我们又收到了一张 6 万美元的支票。”我说：“你在开玩笑。”“不。”一天结束时，收到了 326,000 美元。根本没人知道发生了什么。 

现在，我可以一遍又一遍地告诉你。去年，类似的事情发生了。它不是在一天内发生的，而是在一个月内发生的。现在我想让你思考一些事情。上帝选择了一年的最后一天。为什么？因为他想向大家展示他不需要 365 天。他甚至不需要 24 小时。我要说的是，你越是摆脱肉体的束缚，你就越渴望他的王国的发展，你越是依靠他祈祷，你就会看到比你想象的更多的奇迹！这就是迦勒。有各种各样的山峰需要征服。选一座！去吧！推倒一些墙。爬山，但不要用肉体的手臂去做。你越是摆脱人的帮助，你就越能得到上帝的帮助。你越是向人宣告，以便为你聚集他们的力量，你就越不会寻求上帝。哦，我亲爱的朋友，上帝所做的事是无穷无尽的。正如一位亲爱的人所说，上帝乐于证明他的孩子们的信心是正确的。（不完整的想法）祈祷。

祷告。但不仅仅是为了事工而祷告，也是为了你自己的生命。你有罪。你沉溺其中。你去寻求各种建议。你永远得不到任何解脱。但你去找他了吗？你有没有整夜在他面前祈祷？你有没有向他呼喊？你有没有禁食？你有没有寻求他？你有没有抓住祭坛的角说，除非你祝福我，否则我不会让你走？你们中有多少人整夜与拿撒勒人搏斗？说除非你祝福我，否则我不会让你走。我总是告诉人们，雅各比我更厉害。他们问为什么？他只被碰了一下臀部。我把两个都换了。我不是学者。我不是在这里告诉你我在书上读到的东西。但要跪在你的上帝面前，就像我说的，跪在三英尺外的 F5 龙卷风面前。这才会给人留下深刻的印象。要与拿撒勒人搏斗，只需看看木匠的手臂有多强壮。当他用手臂抓住你并把你摔倒在地时，你就会知道他的力量。但在他的祝福中，他转过那只手臂为你而战。你会更了解他的力量。我说的是经验，而不仅仅是阅读清教徒——跟随他们的生活。

所以我们必须祷告。我们必须祷告。我们必须祷告。祷告是什么样子的呢？帖撒罗尼迦前书：不住地祷告。以弗所书 6:18，“靠着圣灵，随时多方祷告祈求”，靠着圣灵的能力。这不是指说方言。这是指被圣灵赋予祷告的力量。“为此，要谨慎不倦，为圣徒祈求。”诗篇 105:4，“靠着耶和华的能力寻求他，常常寻求他的面。”今天我听到人们问你祷告吗？他们说，好吧，我边走边祷告。我说，不，你不祷告。不，你不祷告。托泽和瑞文希尔传下来了很多智慧，其中之一是：只有向他祷告，你才能学会持续祷告。实践上帝的存在并非只是四处走动，想着自己在做。我发现，无论多么平凡，那些能整天与上帝同在的男男女女都是那些花大量时间在祷告室里独自与上帝同在的人。从那以后，你开始培养一种上帝存在和祈祷的感觉。所以，当你讲完道后走过教堂时，你看到一张脸转向你，你知道那个人正在寻求你的建议，你会立即走向他们，向上帝祈祷：给我智慧来辨别这种需要，并从你的经文中给出答案。你早上醒来，你知道你的妻子有点心烦意乱：主啊，该如何处理这个问题？或者妻子对丈夫。不断向他呼喊，这种交流。

弗兰克·劳巴赫。弗兰克·劳巴赫。你知道我在说谁吗？你听过这样的说法吗：他太过天真，对世俗毫无益处？好吧，大多数人都是太过天真，对世俗毫无益处。弗兰克·劳巴赫是一个非常独特的人。你知道他在日记里的目标是什么吗？写得很清楚。他一生中唯一的目标就是花一整天的时间不间断地思考基督。这是他一生的伟大目标。你会说，是的，那些太过天真，对世俗毫无益处的精神怪人之一。弗兰克·劳巴赫教整个菲律宾人读书，这样他们就可以读圣经了。你现在可以去菲律宾和人们谈论弗兰克·劳巴赫。他们会说，“弗兰克·劳巴赫，是的，我知道他。我在历史课上研究过他。”他是一名基督徒，他教菲律宾所有岛屿的人读书，这样他们就可以读圣经了。所以，我想，心怀天意是相当美好的，不是吗？想想看，这个人教所有这些岛屿的人读书识字，但他最大的目标却是不间断地思考基督并与基督交流。你看，我们不是冥想的人。我们不是沉思的人。我们不是静坐的人。我们是吵闹的人。我们是每隔 20 分钟就得看广告的人，否则我们甚至不能看电视节目。但在基督里，我们可以重新获得失去的东西。

我有一位教授，我知道这听起来很可笑，但是有一次他告诉我说，“沃舍，我想要带你到达这样一个境界，让你坐在一百英亩的田野中间，安静地站在上帝面前，你可以听到毛毛虫爬过树叶的声音。现在，我知道这对你来说听起来有点神秘。事实上，你有多少次安静地坐在上帝面前？只是安静。人们说，“我从来听不到上帝的声音。”你会听吗？你知道，你不会走到总统面前说话。你会闭嘴直到他向你讲话。但是当你走到上帝面前时，在你跪下之前，你已经在告诉他一些事情了。你有没有想过倾听？默想上帝的话语？倾听？

很久以前我听过一个例子：一个男人在一家喧闹的大工厂里工作——工厂里只有车轮在转动，什么也没有——他丢了手表。这是他父亲给他的一块非常重要的手表。他白天在工厂工作时丢了它。我的意思是，你要怎么找到这个东西？工厂里挤满了人，车轮在转动，一切都在进行，噪音、烟雾、蒸汽——没有办法找回那块手表。然而第二天，他向工人展示了他的手表——他找到了它。他们问你是怎么找到手表的？他说我等到工厂关闭，所有的车轮都停了下来，所有人都走了，我静静地躺在地板上，听着……滴答……滴答……滴答……滴答……我找到了我的手表。 

想想看，我们不是那样的人。如果你走进一个教堂，里面五分钟内所有人都保持沉默，你可能会称它为邪教。你走进教堂，媒体会向你大喊大叫。屏幕上有图片。人们在交谈，一切都在进行。想想看，所有的噪音？我不知道我是否记得那首诗。那是什么？旅途劳累，漫长的日子过去，渴望敬拜，渴望加入赞美。基督从荒野中走来，他进入圣殿。它说，圣殿里没有寂静，而是震惊与愤怒交织在一起，当他进入那片荒芜之地时，他的脸上燃烧着怒火。圣殿变得比荒野本身更像荒野。然后它谈到他如何制作绳索、鞭子。它说他们会逃离木匠强壮手臂的伤害。然后这首诗说，最后噪音和混乱让位于他的话语，最后是神圣的沉默，这样上帝的声音才能被听到。你知道守夜吗？你知道守夜吗？你有没有在夜里醒来，只是为了守夜和祷告？只是为了在夜里独自坐在上帝面前？在黑暗中？我们并不是一个很虔诚的人，不是吗？我们需要祷告。

现在，我要说的最后一件事，我们就到此为止。我们必须遵守他的话语。我们必须坚持祷告。这是对我来说最美好的一件事。遵守基督与遵守基督的爱是同义词。 DA Carson 写道：“现在这个意象已经改变，因为农业的隐喻有其局限性。它没有描绘出使门徒建立这种新的亲密关系的深不可测的爱。”你必须遵守基督的爱。现在，我希望我们从两个方面来看这一点：位置和积极。这里的语言真的很重要。真的很重要。我希望你听。他说：“正如父爱我一样”，在第 9 和 10 节中，“我也爱你们。”现在，希腊学者告诉我们，这里的过去时态可能暗示完整或完美。所以他说的是，正如父完全和完美地爱我一样，我也完全和完美地爱你们。现在，我在这里写道，这是硬币的第一面或建筑物的基础。要结出硕果，我们必须完全相信或确信基督对我们的爱。然后，我们必须不断地依靠基督的爱，不断地依赖基督的爱，不断地、坚持不懈地吸收基督的爱。

那么，我说这些是什么意思呢？犹大说：“保守自己常在神的爱中。”保罗说：“他被基督的爱所激励。保守自己常在神的爱中。保罗被基督的爱所激励。现在很多人对此有误解。当保罗说他被基督的爱所激励时，很多人认为保罗是在说我被我对基督的伟大爱所激励。让我与你们分享一件事。你们知道这首歌——任何一首歌，歌词都是“哦，我多么爱耶稣……”当每个人都唱这首歌时——唱这首歌是真的；那是一首好歌——但我改变了歌词，因为我唱得很糟糕。我说：哦，耶稣多么爱我。原因是我看着我对基督的爱，我真的看不到任何值得歌唱的东西。但我看着基督对我的爱，我看到了很多值得歌唱的东西。现在不要说唱“噢，我多么爱耶稣”不符合圣经。诗篇作者说他爱主，好吗？我们应该爱主。我想说的是，保罗·华舍生命的力量不在于他有多爱耶稣；而在于耶稣有多爱他。那一点点改变会改变一切。

让我和你们分享一些发生的事情。正如我今天早上在证言中所说，我有一个非常苛刻的父亲。如果你得了 98 分，为什么不得 100 分？如果你在篮球比赛中得了 20 分，你本来可以得 30 分。等等……我从来都不是任何事物的核心人物。你知道，我年轻时并不是很酷的男孩。我不是这个。我不是那个。事情是这样的。当我得救时，我认为这将是我唯一的机会。我想成为上帝的核心人物。我希望上帝爱我就像他爱他最喜欢的人一样。我知道那是错的，但那是我的心态。我知道那是肉欲的，充满骄傲，但我只是告诉你事实。我决定这是你可以全力以赴的地方，即使你不是最聪明的，即使你不是最漂亮的，即使你没有最多的肌肉。我的意思是，除了你自己的热情之外，没有什么可以阻碍你实现这一目标。如果你想成为这个领域的顶尖人物之一，并真正受到上帝的爱戴和赞赏，这就是你想要的。你所要做的就是有热情。 

哥们，我就是这样的。我去了秘鲁。每天工作 18 个小时。一无所有地生活。简直是疯疯癫癫。每一天都变得越来越枯燥。每天我都看到更多的失败，年复一年，直到有一天，作为一个年轻人——我永远不会忘记——那是在米亚弗洛雷斯镇，在一座旧楼的三楼，我们在战争期间租了这栋楼，因为我们用它做教堂，帮助街头流浪儿。我住在三楼。从三楼到我睡觉的三楼另一半部分有几步路。就在那里，我崩溃了。多年来，我竭尽全力、心力交瘁地侍奉基督，我已经筋疲力尽了。我崩溃了。我崩溃了，在那些台阶上，我因所有的失败而崩溃，我躺在那里，哭了又哭又哭。我说我不想下地狱，因为我知道那里有什么。我不想下地狱，但我也不想上天堂。我对自己的表现感到羞愧。我做不到任何一件好事。我知道你有仆人。我知道你有你的司布真。我知道你有所有这些人，他们让你高兴，我知道当你看着我的生活时，它一定是个笑话。我只想死后去一个我不必受苦的地方，但我不必看着你，感到如此失望，看到你脸上的失望。我知道这太疯狂了。我知道从神学上来说这是不正确的。但这就是我曾经去过的地方。 

就在那一瞬间，我意识到我说的每一句话都是罪恶和卑鄙的。你会认为那会让我更加痛苦。不。上帝应该因为这些态度而惩罚我。但那一瞬间，我失去了取悦上帝的希望——因为我不仅没有完成自己想做的事情，而且我所想做的事情实际上是邪恶的。就在那一瞬间，我开始明白我是被爱的。我不需要向这边移动四分之一英寸，向那边移动四分之一英寸。我不需要表现。我不需要做这些。我在基督里被爱。就在上帝最应该审判我的时刻，他向我展示了他的爱。多么伟大的上帝啊！

兄弟们，你们对神人的看法大错特错。现在，希望他们是真诚的，我们确实在祈祷，我们确实想努力追随基督，但神人即使在他们最好的时刻也只配下地狱。你需要看到的是，真正能让你坚强的东西不是你审视自己的生活，你能够看到你所做的一切正确的事情。不，你放弃审视自己的生活，去寻找你做的正确的事情和值得被爱的事情，而是看看基督完成的工作。你看着基督。只是基督和他所做的一切。你明白他爱你。你不必表现。不，你得救不是为了服务。你得救甚至不是为了爱上帝。你得救是为了让上帝爱你。然后出于对你和他赋予力量的精神的伟大爱，你将能够对此做出一些回报。但你被爱！这是一件了不起的事情！你知道当你不再害怕失败时你可以尝试的一切吗？当你不再害怕失望时？

很多信徒，在和他们交谈之后，我会这样告诉他们：很多信徒——我要说，我已经看出了你们的问题。你们真的认为，第一次看到基督的脸时，你们会看到一脸怒容。想想看。是的，我知道信徒有审判宝座。我知道所有这些教义。别以为我不知道。我知道。但是我想告诉你，信徒，他没有在那棵树上流下自己的血，这样他第一次见到你时就能向你展示他的失望。你看到了吗？我的意思是，这是上帝的爱。正是上帝在基督里为我们所做的让我们自由，并赋予我们力量，让我们知道你是被爱的，知道你是被爱的。

我记得我儿子伊恩还是个小男孩的时候，他一直都很自信。他总是说：好吧，我来了。派对可以开始了。你知道，他一直都很自信。我记得他小时候躺在我的床上睡觉，我走进去，他醒来了。他做了以下事情：他醒了——我一直很怕我爸爸。他醒了。他转过身说：他心里毫不怀疑这里会发生什么。他被爱着，他爸爸会跑过去给他一个世界上最热烈的拥抱。多么快乐啊！

知道你是被爱的。你说，哦，但我失败了。你认为他为什么死？他的死到底是为了什么？只是为了说他原谅了你，然后不断地向你展示他不应该原谅你的原因？他拯救你，让你放弃这一切，这样他就可以拥有兄弟，他不会羞于向会众宣布他们；说他们是他的兄弟。他让你自由，让你被爱。你的事工有多大或多小并不重要。你做什么或不做什么并不重要。如果你信奉基督，你就会被爱。 

现在，未皈依的教会成员听到这些，会说，好吧，那太好了，我还是继续犯罪吧。不管我做什么，我都会继续犯罪。但是，真正被上帝的灵重生的人会做什么呢？如果上帝如此爱我，我更渴望成为圣洁。传教士最可悲的事情之一就是告诉信徒，上帝爱他们，因为我们无法描述上帝对他的子民的爱有多么伟大。有时当我以牧师的身份布道时，当我还是牧师时，或者当我有几次接管一个教会几个月来帮助它，因为它当时正处于困境时，每个人都在 YouTube 上听到我的布道。世界上最卑鄙的人。 

我也遇到过同样的情况，因为我来到他们所在的地区帮助教会。有年轻人来听我向那个教会布道，那是一个非常落后的教会——一个有很多问题、很多罪恶的教会。一些年轻人不断出现，最后他们来找我的一个朋友，听了我几个星期的布道，他们来找我的一个朋友，他们说：“我们有个问题。”他说：“是吗？”他们说：“我们很尊重保罗弟兄，但他妥协了吗？”那人说：“嗯，你的意思是什么？”他说：“嗯，每个人都知道这个教会有很多问题，他几个星期来所做的一切都是在教导上帝的爱。我们期望得到一些 YouTube 内容，你知道吗？布道卡纸？他耳朵里冒烟，真的很努力地布道？” 

你看，这就是你需要理解的。如果某人已经真正皈依——真正皈依——你不必用恐惧来操纵他们。你不必强迫他们。如果他们真的被圣灵重生。他们越能理解基督面前上帝的荣耀，他们就越能理解上帝对他们的爱，他们就越能被驱使走向圣洁。如果他们没有，那是因为他们不是绵羊。他们是山羊。当我面对基督徒时——是的，有时基督徒需要受到斥责和警告，以及各种各样的事情，但基本上，当我与基督徒打交道时，我最大的愿望是向他们解释上帝在基督里对他们的爱有多深。我发现，当人们开始理解——真正重生的人——他们被爱了多少，他们似乎就会绽放。犹大说，保守自己在上帝的爱中。这并不意味着：以上帝会爱你的方式生活。它的意思是：让自己沐浴在他的爱中。

如果你让我去你家，因为你家有一株植物长不大，而且枯萎了，你会说，保罗兄弟，你觉得问题出在哪里？我说，好吧，给我看看那株植物。你带我去你家的柜子里，你在那里放了六个月的植物。我又要说，好吧，我并不是种植植物的专家，但我认为如果你把它放在阳光下，它可能会长得更好。魔鬼总是试图说服信徒，上帝的爱并不像圣经里说的那样。当我们开始相信我们会枯萎，我们就会死。让自己相信上帝之爱的真理，它会让你繁荣昌盛。它会让你成长。它会让你结出果实。上帝之爱的阳光照耀着你。昨晚，一个年轻人来找我，说我有时感觉很糟糕。你如此热情地谈论基督，有时我的心都死了。我说：“年轻人，有时候我的心已经死了。”有时候我的热情会消退。即便是昨晚，我流下的眼泪也不是：哦，这个人如此爱耶稣。我的眼泪是：上帝，你怎么能如此爱我，而我的心却如此冷漠？你看，让我们保持平静的不是我们对上帝的爱。而是上帝对我们不变的爱。

有一次，一个年轻人来找我，他是一个非常虔诚的人——追求基督的年轻人。他给我写了一封电子邮件，他说：“保罗兄弟，我是如此不义、如此不虔诚、如此不了解上帝。”所以我给他回信说：“亲爱的兄弟，你比现在所知道的还要不虔诚、更不义。签名，保罗。”我有鼓励的天赋。他给我回电话说：“谢谢你？”“你为什么写那封信？”我说：“因为我想向你证明一些事情，儿子。”我观察了你的生活。你正在努力追随基督。在很多方面，当我看着你时，我似乎想到自己失去了我的初恋。我说你比我表现得更努力地追随基督，但我比你快乐得多。他说那怎么可能呢？我说，儿子，我已放弃在天国靠自己的努力谋生。我说，儿子，当你早上起床，有五个小时的祷告时间，在那天早上你读了 25 个小时的圣经，你出去，向每个人作见证，甚至对猫也很好。你是基督的见证。你只是在圣灵中行走。我说，你晚上回家，感觉如何？他说我感觉很好。我说第二天早上你起床时，你睡得太晚了，错过了与主在一起的时间，你踢了猫，你有机会作见证，但你没有这样做，等等，你感觉如何？他说太可怕了。 

现在，我想非常小心，以免有人在这篇布道中挑剔我——从某种意义上说，是的，有罪，（听不清楚）。但我斥责他崇拜偶像。他说为什么崇拜偶像？我说你的表现是你快乐的源泉。我说儿子，即使你起床，有 25 小时的安静时间，你做了所有你该做的事情，你仍然只赚到足够的钱，也许可以在地狱里找到一个更凉爽的地方。我说一个人在最好的情况下也不配得到上帝的爱。我说这些年来我已经意识到了这一点。我说你的快乐是基于你的表现。我说儿子，我的快乐是基于耶稣基督完成的工作，这就是我和你的不同之处。你看到了吗？

基督徒的生活是什么样的？它是这样的：它与启示、破碎和喜乐有关。你说，好吧，你的意思是什么？一个人在行走——他不认识基督，他还没有皈依。有一天，他听到福音传道人讲道，上帝的灵更新了他的心。他有生以来第一次瞥见了上帝的真实面目。在看到这一点时，他看到了自己真实的面目，看到了自己的一些罪孽。这让他心碎，他悔改了，但他并没有绝望。为什么？因为他还在启示中看到了基督脸上上帝的恩典，他充满喜乐，因为他相信。你看到了吗？然后他第二天起床，发生了什么？当他走过他的基督徒生活时，他看到了上帝是谁的更大启示，看到了上帝圣洁的更大启示。这有什么作用呢？这比前一天更让他心碎。这让他的悔改更加深刻，因为他现在更加看清了自己，看到了破碎和悔改的必要性。但他并没有绝望。他看到基督面前上帝的恩典，他的快乐比前一天更加强烈。你就这样度过你的整个基督徒生活，直到你 90 岁，在 90 岁时，你看到了比你想象的更多的上帝的圣洁。你看到了比你想象的更多的自己灵魂的黑暗。你比你想象的更破碎，但你的快乐比你想象的更强烈。但发生的事情是，有一个神圣的交易。当你开始时，你的快乐来自于你是谁以及你能做什么。现在到了 90 岁，你失去了这些，你的快乐只来自于基督。事情本该如此。我们所有的快乐，我们所有的希望——一切都在基督里。

好了，既然我已经总结了整个基督徒的生活，我想我们可以结束会议了。感谢上帝在基督里为你所做的一切。祝福你。欢喜吧！仰望他！仰望他。向内看是必要的，但只盯着内心只会导致死亡。仰望基督。因为他比你的每一个失败、你的软弱和你的罪都伟大。我歌唱是因为我快乐。我歌唱是因为我自由了。一切都在加略山结束了。一切都在加略山结束了。

让我们祈祷。天父，感谢祢赐予的圣言。主啊，我祈求祢的子民从此得到帮助，奉耶稣的名，阿门。

（Google translate from：https://illbehonest.com/how-to-abide-in-christ-paul-washer）

The Lord continues to empty us in order to teach us to lay aside all self-reliance that we might cling to Christ alone.

Let’s open our Bibles one last time to John 15. Beginning in verse 1: “I am the true vine and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up and they gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you.

Let’s go to the Lord in prayer. Father, we come before You in the name of Your Son for this last meeting together. Lord, we need Your help that Your truth may go forward, that Your people might be edified. Lord, direct everything this last meeting. Direct our words, our thoughts, Lord. Lead us in the way You would have us go that we would not only begin to understand this passage, but that it’s application to our life would be a reality – a growing reality. Lord, we know so many things and so few of them are applied. Lord, help us not to be hearers of the Word, but also doers of the Word to be truly blessed. Lord, for those who are here that may not know You, that even in this text, they might see their great need for a Savior. Lord, I ask all of this in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

In the last sermon before I began to preach I gave you a summary of all the things that we had been studying. I see little need to do that in this evening session because it should be still warm in your mind, the full summary of what we’ve gone through. Actually, the notes that I’ve been preaching from were the first sermon I was supposed to preach on Friday night. It’s just that it’s all kind of been extended. I have six more sermons, but I don’t think that we will get to all of them this evening. 

We’ve been talking about the impossibility of the Christian life. That is not a cliche. It’s not a hyperbole. The Christian life is an absolute impossibility apart from abiding in Christ and drawing spiritual life and strength from Him. In the Christian life, Christ and the Gospel are not one element, they are the element. Christ is everything. When the Christian doctrine and the Gospel is truly proclaimed as it ought to be proclaimed and men reject it, what they need to know is that they are not rejecting a religion, they are not rejecting certain principles, they are rejecting a Person. If you’re here today and you’re apathetic toward Christianity, maybe you’re here out of coercion, manipulation, maybe you have to because your parents still have authority over you, you’re here, you abide by those rules, but your heart is not here at all. Know this: You are not rejecting a religion. You are not rejecting a set of principles. 

Now to do that is very, very dangerous because ones who set aside the Law of God, the Law of Moses, were to be put away. But I want you to know what you’re doing. You are apathetic towards the one Person that God loves more than all of creation combined – His Son. When you reject Christianity, know this, you are rejecting the One for whom the entire world was created. Know this also: That God will deal harshly with you for your arrogance against His Son. Know this, that maybe in your humanism, maybe in your youth, maybe in your foolishness, you’ve set your heart as stone against God and none of what I’m saying causes you to tremble. Like a young man once said: “I’m not afraid to stand before God. I’ll face Him and my fate.” And the old preacher told him: “Young man, you will melt before God like a tiny wax figurine before a blast furnace.” Your proud heart demonstrates nothing more than your own stupidity. Creation testifies against you. And you yourself know that the very God you are rejecting is the One before Whom you will stand. So I want you to know that when I deal with these texts, there are two groups of people here tonight. There are people who are here because they love Christ, and in loving Christ, they are seriously concerned for pleasing Him and for growing in holiness. There are others here who care not for holiness. And the reason why they do not care for holiness is because they simply do not care for Christ. And that is a very, very dangerous place to be.

Now, we’re going to begin. We’ve gone through several pages of notes. And we’ve seen a lot of things, but now we’re going to turn our attention to something that is extremely important. As we look at our text, we see something. That ten different times in this short text, there’s a word that appears. It’s the word “abide.” And I have said over and over that the only way that the Christian can be fruitful in the Christian life is to abide in Christ. Now, if I tell you this, it’s very important I explain to you what that means.

You know, preachers are famous for telling people what to do and then not telling them how to do it. I remember one time as a young Christian, this man, he preached for something like an hour and a half on the necessity to walk in the Spirit. And it was a fabulous sermon. And it proved to my young heart that I needed to walk in the Spirit. The only problem is he never told us what that meant. So I went up to him after the service, not intending to wrangle. I was happy with what I heard. I thought it was very edifying. I just thought I’m a very immature Christian, I don’t have a clue what it means to walk in the Spirit, so I went before him and I said, “Sir, wow, that was just wonderful! I see that in the Scriptures. I need to walk in the Spirit. But sir, I don’t know what that means.” That man became very put out with me. He said every manner of thing, but he never told me what it meant to walk in the Spirit. And I walked away as the young Christian saying that man just told us to do something that he himself does not know how to do. And therefore, he just told us to do something that he himself is not practicing. And so we always want to be careful whenever we’re exhorting people to do a certain thing, to actually be able to explain to them what it means. And so I have told you that the only way you can be fruitful in the Christian life is to abide in Christ. Now what does that mean?

First of all, the word abide is not that complex in Greek. It’s “meno.” It’s to remain, to abide, to stay. Now when we bring in the metaphor of a branch, you can see that a branch must be connected vitally to a vine in order for that branch to continue with life and even bear fruit. So somehow you and I must be vitally connected with Christ.

Now herein lies two sides of a coin, and it’s often the case in Christianity to have two sides of a coin. One is positional, and the other is our actual experience. Now I want to say positionally first of all what I was explaining in the last session. If you are truly a Christian – and I don’t say that lightly because most people in America who call themselves Christian are not Christian, and some of you who call yourselves Christians are possibly not Christians. It’s very important to understand. Let me put it this way, if you consider yourself a carnal Christian, you’re lost. You’re just lost. Do Christians sin? Yes. Can Christians fall into grievous sin? Absolutely. Can Christians live a continuously carnal lifestyle without fruit? Absolutely not. And so if you are a true believer, you are vitally connected to Christ. He is the vine. You are a branch. He is the Head. You are the body. 

We have many metaphors like that to indicate this unique position we now have with Christ. Another is the Bible talks oftentimes in spheres locatively. For example, you’re in the sphere of Adam. Or you’re in the sphere of Christ. You’re in the sphere of condemnation. You’re in the sphere of justification. You are in the sphere of the flesh. You are in the sphere of the Spirit. So if you’re genuinely a Christian, you are a branch and you’re vitally connected. But here’s what we need to understand: this position that we have does not lead us ever in the New Testament to being passive. But it always promotes a zealous application of this truth; a desire for this truth to be worked out in our life, to become manifest. And let me use a word that many people are afraid of: to be experienced. That it’s an actual reality. One of the men that was so very key in my discipleship until today uses a word all the time that always brings me back to center. And he’ll say this: Yes, Paul, but is it a reality in your life? When he listens to a sermon, he’ll say: there was reality there. And that’s kind of what we’re talking about. Not just a theological supposition or a theological or propositional truth, but is it a growing reality? Is it the experience of your life? Do you experience fruit-bearing? Do you experience communion with Christ? You can quote all my favorite creeds, but that does not guarantee that you experience the truths that are found there.

Now, as a Christian, we are united with Christ, but in the Christian life, sanctification is progressive. I think you all would agree with that. It’s progressive. Well, let me explain what that means. When you think of progressive sanctification, you probably think that as you grow in your Christian life, you become more holy, more holy, more holy – that’s true. That’s true. But a lot of times we leave things out of that formula that ought to be included. For example, repentance. Did you know repentance is subject to sanctification? There’s a sense in which I repented unto salvation, but I am growing in repentance – did you know that? I’m growing in saving repentance. I repent more now. I see more sin now. I’m growing in faith. My faith is subject to sanctification. There was a time when I believed unto salvation, but that faith has become subject to sanctification over the last thirty years. It’s deeper. It’s stronger. It’s the same way – a new believer immediately starts bearing fruit. Really. And many times, the first few months of our life, we see abundant amount of fruit. But, we ought to be growing in our fruit-bearing. A believer, the moment that they believe, they enter into communion with Christ and they experience that. The love of God is shed abroad in their heart. But as they grow in Christ, this initial experience of the love of God, of the indwelling of the Spirit, it ought to increase. It ought to become more mature. And that doesn’t mean that they go from experience to experience, or this greater manifestation to greater manifestation. But it’s referring to reality. Every one of these things that happen to us at salvation, they become a deeper reality. And they begin to manifest themselves in a greater way in our life.

Now, I’m going to take a definition from D.A. Carson. I’m going to quote him a few different times throughout the teaching that we’re going to do tonight because he says some things that are absolutely marvelous.

D.A. Carson is a well known New Testament scholar and he has been very helpful to almost every minister who cares about the Word of God. But he defines “abiding” in this way: He says, “the imagery of the vine is stretched a little when the branches are given the responsibility to remain in the vine.” Now if you notice, He says: “I am the vine. You are the branches.” But then He goes outside of this metaphor and He tells us that we need to do something to continue abiding. You know, branches just kind of sit there, don’t they. But there is something that we must do. And basically, it’s [that] we must cultivate this relationship which we have. Now he says this, “The point is clear. Continuous dependence upon the vine, constant reliance upon Him, persistent spiritual imbibing…” What does imbibing mean? It means to drink, to absorb. “…Continuous persistent spiritual imbibing of His life – this is the indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient of spiritual fruitfulness.”

Now, up to this point, you realize what I’ve been doing? I’ve been building up to this moment. I’ve been trying to show you that you cannot do anything apart from the life and power of Christ. I’ve also talked a great deal about the providence of God – how God in His providence will send trials our way, difficulties, things we cannot overcome, obstacles that we ourselves cannot endure. Now why does He do this? Is it because He hates us? Absolutely not. All these strong winds are designed to convince you and me that we simply cannot.

In the Christian Manifesto, which is of course the Sermon on the Mount, the first virtue that is given us is this: Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who live in a profound dependence upon God. What is the most God-honoring thing that we can do? To live in a profound dependence upon God. What is the most dishonoring thing that Israel ever did? Independence. Is that not true? The most dishonoring thing that Israel did under the old covenant was independence. “We don’t need You. We can do this on our own.” Do you realize that almost every saving activity of God does not begin until first He empties men of all hope of saving themselves? Whether it’s Israel in Egypt; whether it’s Joseph in the prison; whether it’s Gideon against the Midianites – what is He constantly doing? He’s constantly emptying us of ourselves, of self-confidence, of self-reliance. Why? So that we will live in absolute or full dependence upon Him. Can you see how vital this is?

Now you may be thinking to yourself, “Brother Paul, just go on.” No, I can’t. Like I used the example two nights ago, it was necessary that Peter fall. Why? He made that self-reliant, independent, John Wayne type of declaration there in the supper, in the Passover: Though all deny You, I will not. He had to fall. It was necessary that Satan sift him and that he fall. Why? To rid him of that. (unintelligible) Look at this! The great Peter, the rock, denies Christ before a little servant girl. It was necessary. Some of the old preachers used to say Christ spent three years emptying the disciples so that He could fill them in a second on the day of Pentecost. I mean, God can fill you like that. The emptying part is problematic. And so He’s constantly doing this, constantly sending things our way to empty us. But to cause us to cling to Him; to cling to Him.

Now, there are three aspects of abiding because I’ve just told you, you need to cling to Christ. You need to lay aside self- reliance and independence, and you need to cling to Christ. But now you’re probably saying if you’re a thinker, okay, but again, how do you do that? Well, there are three aspects to this. And I’m going to take part of D.A. Carson’s definition and use it within these three aspects. First of all, abiding in Christ is through continuous dependence on His Word, constant submission to His Word, persistent spiritual imbibing of His Word. Now look in verse 7. Chapter 15:7, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you…” Now look at verse 10, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Now, you know the old song that says: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey”? Well, that might sound kind of trite, but let me just share with you something. Trust and obey. There’s no other way to be happy in Jesus. I’m sorry. I know that you live in a culture where you can go into every Christian bookstore and find one thousand books on ten steps to do this. I’m sorry. Quick fixes here and there, microwave Christianity, instantaneous this and that – no, my friend. You have been given a book which I dare say most of us despise. You say, “I don’t despise it.” 

Let me share with you something. Have you ever been a street preacher? You know there’s something worse than the crowd turning around and all of them getting really mad at you? You know what’s worse than that? They neglect you altogether. You’re standing there preaching and they all walk by you for hours like you’re not even there. There was a time in my life when I actually thought I was invisible. No, the worst thing you can do to me to despise me is neglect; that I’m not even worth arguing with. Now do you see the neglect of God’s Word? You see, we’re always wondering, where is the power? Or you see a man or a woman who seems to be fruit bearing and full of power and zeal and you want to find their secret. The problem is there is no secret and when they give you the answer you’re not going to like it. What is it? I have no wisdom or understanding of my own. I do not know how to walk from the bedroom to the bathroom apart from the Word of God. This world is a minefield full of danger. I have no telepathic ability to discern where all the mines are hidden. But I have a map. I do not know how to discern the things of God, but I have been given truth in Scripture. I’m sorry, my dear friend, if you were waiting to find out something that would really just be brand new to you about how to abide in Jesus. I’m sorry! But it is this first and foremost, He has given you His Word. And again, I go back to old John Bunyan. They said of him if you cut his veins he would bleed the Bible.

The old story that’s been told in several different ways about Stoneface; about supposedly a man who would come and visit a town and be a blessing to the town, and he would have a face like the face that was carved into a natural formation on a stone. And everyone waited for that person and one time a little boy was born and he kept hearing the story about one day someone would come to save the town, and he kept looking at that stone and looking at that stone and looking at that stone, until at the end of his life he realized he had become that face and he was the one who had helped the town. It is just us going into the Word, going into the Word, going into the Word, going into the Word. Not even seeking to be transformed by the Word, just recognizing the importance of the Word and living in the Word. And eventually, without us even knowing it, we begin to take on its characteristics. Do you see that?

Let me give you an example – a rather, vulgar, trite, common example. Let’s say that you come to me and you have a big spot on your forehead that’s just a bloody mass. And you say to me, Brother Paul, I’ve been to every doctor in the world. No one can figure out why I have this. Could you please try to pray to the Lord that He would give you wisdom with regard to why I have this on my forehead? And I say, well, I’m no doctor, but sure, I’ll pray about it. But I decide one day to be even practical, and I decide to follow you around for 24 hours. And I notice that at 1:00 in the morning – the clock strikes 1, and you get up out of bed and you hit your forehead against a brick wall one time and go back to bed. And then I watch, it’s 2:00. You get up precisely at 2:00 when the bell strikes, and you hit your forehead twice on a stone wall and go back to bed. Now, I notice as you go through the day, every turn of the hour, you hit your head against a wall that many times. At the end of 24 hours, I come to you, and I say this: Look, I’m no doctor, but I think I figured out your problem. If you will stop banging your head against a brick wall every time the clock strikes the hour, I think your head will heal. You say, that’s absurd. I say the same thing to you. You neglect the Scriptures. I’m sorry. And then, do you know what evangelicalism has done in America? It has conformed itself to your flesh. If I have heard it one time, I’ve heard it a thousand times, people and teacher and pastors and supposedly educators in Christianity saying: we don’t live in a culture anymore where people can even pay attention for five minutes, so we’ve got to give them little soundbites with regard to Christianity. You know what we’ve done? We’re the first group of Christians who believe the Bible – the first group in history that no longer believe that our culture is to conform itself to the book. We’re now trying to conform Christianity to the culture. I say if our culture has become too dumb to read for half an hour, that in the church we do not give in to that, but we start teaching people how to think and how to read and how to meditate, to turn off televisions, to turn off vain conversations and to get into the book.

Let me share with you something about western culture. I want to be very careful here, but I just want to make a few observations that may help you understand you. You know everyone says western culture this, western culture that. We shouldn’t try to take western culture and apply it to other cultures. Let me share with you something about western culture. Western culture has to do with the Americas and also Western Europe. I guess you’re all familiar with that – Western culture. Prior to the advent of Christianity, western culture meant we were a bunch of tribal people living in Northern Europe running around naked painting ourselves blue and eating one another. That’s western culture. So what changed western culture? The advent of Christianity. Yeah. And because of Christianity, we stopped worshiping twigs and streams and crickets and hatchets and horns. We came to understand the living God and we came to understand creation in light of that living God. Our culture began to change. The very height of literature and art and music and everything in Europe owes itself to the advent of Christianity coming in and changing a group of blue-painted barbarians. That’s what Christianity did. But now, because we have rejected Christianity, we have rejected the God of Christianity, we’re becoming cannibalistic barbarians once again. Oh yes, we can do all kinds of things with computers and technology. We are fabulous in IT, but we’re becoming immoral beasts. Now the point that I’m trying to make is this: You want some quick fix. The quick fix is this: spend your life renewing your mind in the Word of God. Cling to the Word of God as though your very life depends on it because, sir, I can assure you, it does!

I’ll put it this way, D.A. Carson writes this, “‘If you remain in Me’ is equivalent to doing all that Jesus commands. Such words must so (and I love this) such words must so lodge in the disciple’s mind and heart, that conformity to Christ, obedience to Christ is the most natural thing in the world.” Now, see, you can’t get there apart from the Word. Let me read that again. “Such words…” That’s the teachings of Christ. “…Must so lodge in the disciple’s mind and heart that conformity to Christ, obedience to Christ is the most natural thing in the world.” Now how is that going to happen?

Now, let’s go back to something I greatly love – the Law of God. The books of wisdom. And what do we see over and over? What should the king do in Deuteronomy? He should write out all the words of this Law. Why? To work on his penmanship? Absolutely not. That those words might be firmly lodged in his heart and mind. It’s an interesting thing when you go to the Bible and you do this kind of study: How do you study the Bible according to the Bible? And you know you will actually find only a few references to study? Did you know that? Do you know what the great portion is? Memorization and meditation. Lodging the Word of God in your heart. As one old preacher I know who I dearly love says: “Folks, this isn’t rocket surgery.” It means rocket science or brain surgery, but he combines the two things. He goes, “this isn’t rocket surgery.” It’s simple. You take the Word of God and you read it and you read it and you read it and you read it and you study it, and if you don’t understand it, you don’t care, you keep working on it because your life depends upon it. As I said the other night, some of you who would say, “Well, I’m not a reader.” Yeah, but if your company offered you a job paying twice or three times what you’re now making, but you have a 600 page manual to memorize, I guarantee you’d stay up night and day to memorize that. Your wife would be with you pouring you coffee and encouraging you because she wants a new bedroom set. Your children would be going “hip, hip, hooray dad! Go dad! Go dad!” And we would do something like that for something as pathetic as money. To buy silly clothes with important designers’ names on them. What a pathetic people. And yet, we’ll let eternity escape right through our hands and not even move a finger.

Now, what does this look like? I want to read you some texts that have been very helpful for me. But now, I want you to listen to these texts as though you’d never heard them before. That’s often very helpful. I knew of one old pastor that every three years he would change his Bible. He would spend three years going through his entire Bible and writing notes, filling the pages with notes and notes and notes, and then he would take that Bible and put it on the shelf and get a new Bible because he wanted to hear the Word afresh again without his notes. He wanted God to speak to him afresh. Now, listen to this as though you’ve never heard it before. Because right now you probably treat it like a cliche – a meaningless piece of New Testament poetry. But I want you to listen to it as though you had to take it seriously. Now this is the incarnate God speaking – Jesus Christ. “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'” There’s a sense in which I know you believe this. There’s a sense in which you don’t believe this at all. He’s saying every aspect of your life is to be governed, fueled, conformed, empowered by the Word of God. Let me ask you a question, those of you who are married. How much time have you spent studying marriage in the Scriptures? I mean, it’s the most important relationship you have on this earth. Are you doing what it says here? That your marriage, you’re seeking that it be conformed to every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God? Now marriage is tough enough when you do know what God’s Word says. How much more difficult is it when you don’t even know what God’s Word says?

Sometimes I’ll ask music directors. You know, I’ll go to a church, and it’s got a big music program and all this, and I’ll ask them this one question: You’re the worship leader? Yes. Have you studied worship beginning in the book of Genesis 1 all the way through the book of Revelation? Well, no. Well, then how do you know that what you’re doing is pleasing to God? How can you know? The sad thing is now they say well, it doesn’t even matter. It’s just basically left up to what you feel like. No, it’s not. No, it’s not. The way you dress – I know I sound now like a 1950’s fundamentalist preacher, don’t I? 

But let me ask you a question: the way you dress – have you gone to Scripture to ask God: what am I supposed to do? The way you talk, your relationships, what you participate in and don’t participate in? Look what He says: You do not live on bread alone, but you live on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. You know what the Puritan genius was? Now, I don’t agree with the Puritans on absolutely everything. They’re men, but you know what their genius was? They honestly sought to conform every aspect of their life to the Word of God. Now, like all of us men, they failed in some areas. They went too far or not far enough in some areas. But they are one of the few peoples that ever walked on this planet that said every aspect of life must be conformed to the written Word of God. We don’t believe that! As a matter of fact, we live in a culture now where it’s just sort of believe in an undefined Jesus and then do whatever is right in your own eyes. No, my dear friend, listen! You see, you don’t fear. And you do trust in yourself. You prove it every day by just walking according to what you think is right. Don’t do that! Abiding in Christ is asking, Lord, I am in a fallen world. There is a sense in which even though I have been regenerated, I still have fallen members of my body – even a fallen mind. I live in a fallen world. I’m behind enemy lines. Wisdom was not born with me. It will not die with me. I must take this book. Again, I go back to Pilgrim’s Progress. It’s the book. The book that guided him. The book.

Listen to this text. He tells Joshua, “Only be strong and very courageous. Be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left.” Do you know the average evangelical doesn’t know enough of the Law to determine whether he’s even turned from it or not. Really. We talk about obedience, but before obedience can come there must be knowledge. And there’s such a neglect of the Word of God that we don’t even know when we’re walking in disobedience. That’s why we can do horrendous things within the context of the so-called local church and not even be convicted about it. We don’t even know what the will of God is. “So that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the Law…” Now, let’s just take this literally for a moment. Not absurdly, but literally. “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night.” 

Okay, let me ask you a question. Does your ten minute quiet time fulfill this command? I mean, people boast because “I had my quiet time.” Well, describe it to me. “Well, you know, 15 minutes in the Word.” “15 minutes in prayer.” I applaud you for whatever attempt you’re making, but don’t pat yourself on the back. He’s saying this Word, “it shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will succeed.” Now this is not to be interpreted in the context of televangelists. It’s not talking about: then you will prosper financially. It means then you will prosper in the will of your God and be a useful servant to Him. That’s what being fruitful means. So abiding in Christ is to take this gift of His teaching and learning to follow it.

Now as we see here in verse 12, “This is My commandment that you love one another just as I have loved you.” Now let me say a few things, I want to draw a balance here. I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I want to explain this. The end of everything that has to do with God’s commands is this: To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. That’s the end of it all. As I said a while back, Christianity is not primarily an ethical or moralistic religion. We’re not about just keeping rules. We’re not. We’re about an intimate relationship with the living God, loving Him with all our heart and entering into intimate relationships with people and loving them with all our heart and showing them the mercy that God shows us. That’s the fulfillment of the Law. But then again, we are a people in a very distorted culture. And wisdom was not born with you at your physical birth, and I want to tell you, wisdom was not born with you in your spiritual birth. Wisdom is something that is acquired. Now that you have become a Christian, you have the capabilities of acquiring wisdom. But wisdom is necessary.

Now, every time I talk in the last few years about the Law of God, the commands of God, everyone screws up their face and gets really mad. They go, “We’re free from the Law.” “We’re free from the Law.” And I’m thinking, does anybody even know what that means anymore? Free from the Law. “The Law has nothing to do with us. Absolutely nothing! We’re free!” Free to what? “Free to do whatever we want. We believe in Jesus. We’re free to do whatever we want.” Well, hold on. First of all, a person who is unconverted – which most people who call themselves Christians are – and they have that kind of teaching, (I’m free to do whatever I want), but their heart’s not been changed so their heart is filled with worldly, carnal desires. So they go to church every Sunday and worship God in the praise service and then they live like an abomination throughout the week. 

Let’s figure out what we’re saying here. Now let me ask you a question, when it says that we’re free from the Law, what do you think that means? That we no longer have to obey God? Or does it mean we’re just supposed to love one another? But herein lies a big problem. People have some really distorted views on love. So what are we talking about? If we say that we don’t even need the Law, we don’t need to think about it, we don’t need to read it or anything, then you know what we have to do? We have to literally cut out the book of Psalms and throw it away. Do you realize that? Because the book of Psalms – look at it. “I delight in Your Law.” “Your precepts are true.” What are we going to do? Or as one person said one time in a meeting I was holding. It was a meeting in a conference thing and I was talking about the Law, and this person raised their hand and said, “We’re free from the Law and you’re trying to put us under the bondage of the Law that oppresses us…” And I said, “Wow.” I said, “Okay, let me ask you a question. You just told me that the Law of God is oppressive, it’s restricting, restrains you and puts you in bondage. Okay. Let’s just go over some of the laws and you tell me which one of these is restraining you from doing what you want to do.” Let’s see: You shall have no other gods before Me. Are you mad about that? Because that’s restraining you from having other gods? Let’s try another one. You’re not to steal your neighbor’s wife. Is that oppressive to you? You shall not lie. And I just went down through all the laws of God that I could remember, and in the end I’m sitting there and the man starts to kind of slump in his chair because he knew what was happening. I said if these beautiful laws are oppressive to you and restraining what you really want to do, what kind of evil person are you? You see?

Now when He says we’re free from the bondage of the Law, what it means is all those detailed laws of sacrifice, all those things have been fulfilled in Christ. That’s part of it, but the big part of it is just this: The Law says do this and live. Now, I want to tell you something. That’s not bad. That’s not sinful – that statement. But you see, we’re under bondage because we can’t do those things. And therefore we can’t live. And therefore, we should die. Because we have violated all the Law. We’re free from that curse of the Law. That’s not because the Law is bad, it’s because we were bad. We’re free from it because Christ has fulfilled the Law and died in our place. So we’re not justified by the Law. And we shouldn’t be legalistic people or trying to kill other people with all our rules. But the fact of the matter is I delight in the Law of God. I love the book of Proverbs. I get excited even about the commandment in the Old Testament that says you ought to build a fence around the roof of your house. 

And someone says, well, do you have a fence around the roof of your house? No. Well, are you disobeying that law? No. See, you have to understand what it’s saying. You build a fence around the roof of your house because in that time, most people – especially in the summer – lived on the roof of their house. And you build a fence around the roof of your house because you love your neighbor and you don’t want him to fall off your roof. And actually, some of our common laws in this country with regard to property and the welfare of others are based upon that law. I don’t find anything in the law that’s displeasing. I can delight in it. The wisdom that’s found in Proverbs and in the Law itself protects my marriage, shows me how to raise my children. So if you’re telling me: Washer, don’t put me under the bondage of the Law, I’m going, just exactly what do you want to do? Do you see?

So how do we abide in Christ? Abiding in Christ is not completed by just our obedience to the Word of God. Because our relationship is much more than that. But abiding in Christ cannot be separated from His Word, His commands, and obedience to Him. What is it? Romans 12:2? Renewing our mind in the Word of God. Isn’t it amazing? Some of you came here this week and you probably have not been in this church before and you’re going man, they read the Bible too much in their services. It’s kind of boring just sitting there listening to them read a whole chapter. What does that say about you? What does it say about contemporary Christianity? That the Scriptures aren’t even read when exactly in 1 Timothy it says they should be. Publicly. See? The reason why we’re so weak in Christianity today is because we have a neglect of the Word.

Now listen to this. Psalm 1:2-3. “But his delight – (the righteous man) – his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His Law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, and whatever he does, he prospers.” Fruit-bearing – do you see this? When Jesus is teaching, please understand me, it’s not plagiarism, okay? Because He wrote the Old Testament. But most of His Gospel teaching is drawn right out of what He said in the Old Testament. Do you understand that? He’s been talking about fruit-bearing for a long time. And every time He talks about it, it has something to do with His Word, with the Word of God.

Young people, you come to me, and you say, you know, Brother Paul, I’ve been listening to your sermons. I want to grow. I want to be used of God. What should I do? I always tell them Robert Murray McCheyne. They go, “Robert Murray McCheyne. Who is that?” He’s a young man who died when he was 28. Probably had progressed more in holiness than just about anybody at that age. And he has a reading list. He read through the New Testament twice a year and the Old Testament once a year. Do that. Get his reading list. Do that. Read through the Scriptures over and over and over. And if you are a brand new believer, you know, I’m not going to tell you you should read a little. Man, if you’re a new believer, you’re probably on fire. Read the Bible hours a day. Consume it. You want to be used of God? Prove it. You want to be fruitful? Prove it. Oh, my dear friend, my only regret in the last thirty years is not that I studied the Bible too much, as that I allowed myself to be distracted from it so much. So abiding in Christ is abiding in His Word. Saturating our lives in His Word and seeking to obey Him.

Now, we come to a second thing. Abiding in Christ is through continuous – now get ready – continuous dependence on prayer, constant reliance upon prayer, persistent spiritual imbibing of the life and power of Jesus Christ through prayer. Now let me quote D.A. Carson. “The text suggests (this is unbelievable – this is powerful) The text suggests that the fruit in the vine imagery represents everything that is the product of effective prayer in Jesus’ name.” Now, I want us to look at verse 7. It’s very interesting. He says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” Look in verse 16. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.” Now, let’s look at this. This is extremely important. There’s a lot of mystery here that I cannot explain to you. No one can. As a matter of fact, if you meet someone who can, run from them. They’re a heretic. There’s some mystery in this passage. This is one of those texts where you’re just going to have to take God at His Word. Because if you try to make this fit into some system of thought, you’re going to explain the passage away. And you don’t want to do that.

Now, isn’t it amazing that in both passages He’s talking about prayer and it’s in the context of bearing fruit. That to be a fruitful Christian, prayer is absolutely essential – prayer in the name of Jesus; prayer believing that God (unintelligible). But I also want you to notice something. In verse 7, He says, “Abide in Me and My words abide in you.” So what are we seeing here? (incomplete thought) We’re not seeing this – we’re not seeing a person who neglects the Word of God, whose mind is not renewed at all. We’re not talking about a person who doesn’t have the mind of Christ. Okay? We’re not talking about a person who neglects the Word of God and then just asks a whole bunch of stuff. Because usually the stuff they ask for are carnal and outside of God’s will. But what we’re talking about is a person who is abiding in Christ and he is abiding in the Word of Christ, and the Word of Christ is abiding in him. What is it? We’re talking about a person who through their constant imbibing upon the Word of God, their constant feeding upon the Word of God, the Word of God constantly renewing their mind, they are beginning to develop what? The mind of Christ. They are beginning to know, as Romans 12:1-2 says, they are beginning to know what the will of God is. Isn’t that amazing? He says you may renew your mind that you may know what the will of God is. Okay?

Now… What is prayer? John Piper refers to it as a warfare walkie-talkie. And I agree with him. As a matter of fact, it’s very difficult for me to see prayer at all apart from our place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Most people see prayer in a completely wrong way. You see prayer as: I think I have a need and I ask God to meet it. That’s not the context of prayer. The context of prayer is set forth for us where? In Matthew 6. Jesus says: pray this way. Now listen very carefully. Don’t turn it into cliche. Our Father, Who art in Heaven… Now, let’s just take a look at that. You talk about the perfect psychology of prayer? Look at the way He’s addressing God. Our Father. Wow! It demonstrates the intimacy, doesn’t it? 

But then He goes: Who art in Heaven. Your Father happens to be the God of the universe and you ought to treat Him as such. Many of you young people were raised with no respect whatsoever for age, authority, or anything. I was out at a school of a very, very famous preacher. (Incomplete thought) I’m going to mention his name. John MacArthur. And I was out there and I was teaching at Master’s College for two days. And I was walking around going: Wow! John MacArthur’s here. I wonder if I’ll get to see him. I’m fifty years old! And I’m going I hope I get to see him. What a privilege! And little 17 year old students that walk up to me and go: “Hey! Brother Paul! Have you met John?” And I’d go, “What?” “John!” “John who?” “Well, John! John MacArthur.” And I’d look at them and I’d go, “I am fifty years old. I have walked through hell with Christ. I have suffered for the cause of Christ. I bear so many wounds from battles, and I would never call him by his first name.” We have no sense of honor anymore. And when we go to God, this whole idea of Abba, Father meaning “Daddy,” be very careful. That interpretation is not really correct. It does demonstrate intimacy, but it doesn’t demonstrate “daddy.” It doesn’t. I’m sorry. In the language, it doesn’t work. It may be really good for a contemporary Christian song, but it doesn’t work. It’s not biblical because it does not denote the other aspects of that intimacy which is reverence.

Now, He says, “Our Father, Who art in Heaven…” So this perfect balance of intimacy and fear. And then He says – and this is the context of all praying – “hallowed be Thy name.” What He’s saying there is: special be Your name. Unique be Your name. It’s basically Malachi. That His name be great among the nations from the rising to the setting of the sun. There you go again – Jesus drawing from the Old Testament, but it’s okay, He wrote it. And the whole idea is: my whole prayer, my whole prayer life, everything I’m ever going to ask You is going to be in the context that my greatest desire is that Your name be set apart as supreme above all things; that Your Kingdom come and that Your will be done. That’s the context of all praying. And if you don’t have that context, you’re not praying.

So, when we talk about asking the Father for things – for many, many years, as some of you know, I’ve had my hips replaced, my wrist is made of metal, I’ve lived in great deals of pain and everything else and I want to be honest with you. I have prayed for God to heal me. And to some degree, He has. He has really helped me in this last year. But here’s what I want you to see. The context of that praying: God heal me. I hurt so bad. Was this: If through my healing Your name will be held supreme and Your kingdom will come to a greater degree, and the will of God will be advanced and submitted to, then heal my body. But if not, then let me die in this pain so long as Your kingdom come. So all our asking from God is in the context of our greatest desire which is His glory and the advancement of His kingdom. Now you’re praying. It’s not just: I have a want. I have a need. I have a desire. But it’s: whatever will bring You glory. And it’s in that context with that mind of Christ that we begin to pray. And notice this praying: “Ask in My name.” What are you asking for? You’re asking to bear fruit. You’re asking for things that are genuine fruit. And what begins to happen is you sort of start disappearing in the whole equation. Lord, I’m an instrument. This is not about me. This is about You. Lord, if through this trial Your kingdom will advance, allow me to continue in it. Take it away only until the work is done. Lord, everything in my life is about one thing: the advancement of Your kingdom. And so in that context, we pray.

You know, I’ve gone to prayer meetings in churches, and I’ll be honest with you, it’s enough to break your heart. It’s enough to break your heart. It sounds literally like a medical convention. It literally does. Now, I know that we need to pray for the sick. I know that, but I have sat in prayer meetings in the United States of America and watched while 45 minutes, they didn’t even pray. Just people stood up and shared about people who were sick. And a big part of it was just gossip. People wanted to talk about stuff. And then I think, four billion people have not heard a clear Gospel. We have believers who are being massacred in Iran. We have all these things going on in the kingdom. And the only thing that we can pray about are gallbladders. 

I mean, there’s something terribly wrong. And we wonder why doesn’t God visit us in our prayer meetings? You’re not kingdom-praying. If you’ll seek first the kingdom, He’ll take care of all these other little things you’re so preoccupied about. And so if you’re going to be fruitful, you must pray. You must read the Word and pray, God, make me fruitful, make me fruitful. And as you begin to understand the will of God – for example, it is God’s will that every creature under heaven hear the Word of God, hear the Gospel. So you pray and you fast, and one day you get a phone call and you find that an entire country has just opened unto you to support their missionaries. That’s praying. You pray for your family who’s hardened to the Gospel. You pray and you fast and then one day according to Colossians 4:1-4, a magnificent door’s been opened unto you. The church has a need. It can’t go. It’s got a problem. Something has some kind of need. You hit your face on the floor. You cry out to God and you look for a magnificent deliverance. You’ve got a sin in your life that is a besetting sin and you can’t be set free from it. You attack it head on with prayer, with fasting, with reading the Word, and you see victory come. This is the kind of praying that we’re talking about. Never diminishing needs, but when you go in to hear people pray today it’s all about them. It’s all about their needs. It’s like one old saint, Ravenhill, used to say, we spend more time praying saints out of heaven than praying sinners into heaven.

Now, I said that God answers our prayers when we’re praying in the context of the kingdom and when our mind is being renewed so that we know what the will of God is, but I want to be very cautious here because you could misunderstand me. There’s a basic idea out there especially among reformed guys that’s this: God answers every prayer according to His will, but it’s not the will of God to do anything. Now they wouldn’t say that, but that’s basically what’s practiced. Everything is written off to the providence of God. It’s the providence of God, providence of God. Oh, that nation is entirely without Christ? Providence of God, because if God wanted something to happen, He’d have done something. 

That’s not the language of the New Testament. Now that might be language of a very precise camp and system of theology, but it is not the language of the New Testament nor is it the language of our forefathers that we claim to be a part of. That’s not the language of Edwards. That’s not the language of Whitefield. That’s not the language of Spurgeon. That’s not the language of William Carey. That’s not the language of the Puritans. I want to tell you something, there is a mystery in prayer and I don’t care if by saying this this becomes the last reformed meeting I ever have in my life, because if you reject this, you’re not reformed – you’re deformed. And it’s this: God has decreed everything before the foundation of the world. He knows the end of all things and not because He looked through the corridors of time and saw how it was going to turn out. I don’t know who invented that – I would like to see his corridors of time because it’s not in the Bible. God knows the end of all things exactly how everything is going to come out and it’s not because He looked through the corridors of time. It’s because He’s the Author of history. It’s going to come out just like He decreed it. 

Okay? You say, wow, that’s a pretty strong statement. Yes, it is, and I believe it’s biblical. But I also believe that what James says is true. “You have not because you ask not.” That king was given a set of arrows to smash against the floor. And if he had smashed them against that floor and shown some zeal for Yahweh, something better would have happened than what happened. And I can’t put those two things together and guess what, it’s not my job. Nor is it yours. I am called upon to live whatever truth is given to me realizing that if there is a God out there and there is and He is infinitely above me in His way of thinking, and He is, then why should I think I should be able to figure out everything He’s told me? I know this, He is sovereign over all things. And I know this, we have not because we ask not. 

And I can honestly tell you this in good conscience, there are many times when I’m dealing with a country or a people group that has no Gospel, and I’m crying out to God: God, what do You want to do? What do You want to do? What do You want me to do? I’ll do anything, just tell me what You want me to do. The thing that’s most impressed upon my heart and more so as I grow older – so I’m not talking about youthful zeal – when I go: Lord, what do You want me to do? It seems like the answer is this: Well, what can you believe Me for? What do you want to do? How far do you want to take this thing? I told you, I’m a wild man. It’s almost like God says: You want to get nuts? You want to take this as far as it can go? I’m with you. Let’s go. I think that a lot of reformed people are thinking God doesn’t want to do anything and if we get Him to do anything, we’ve got to pull Him into it. I’m going to tell you something, my friend, God is running so much faster than the church. It’s not trying to get Him to catch up to you, it’s trying to get you to catch up to Him. But see, there’s a sense of faith. There’s a sense of faith that comes with reading the Scriptures. There’s a sense of faith that comes with studying the old men and their ways.

I remember one time I was a young missionary. I came back off the field. I was very tired. I was invited to a church. They wanted me to speak. They did a question and answer. They had a microphone in the different aisles of the church. And I was answering questions. A young red-headed boy – I’ll never forget this – he couldn’t have been more than 10, 12, whatever. He comes up to the microphone. He’d been standing in line all night and this is the question he asked. He said, “Mr. Washer?” I said, “Yes?” He said, “After you win everybody in Peru to Jesus, then what are you going to do?” And everybody laughed except me and him. And I said, “Well, son, I suppose when I win everybody to Christ in Peru I’ll just have to go find me another country, won’t I?” I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where there can’t be a worldwide revival. Sorry, I don’t. I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where an entire people group can’t come to Jesus. I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where I have to die without seeing everybody at least hear the Gospel one time. Everything I have contrived – and I know that behind that contriving was the sovereignty of God; I know the 1689 and the Westminster – there is nothing I have ever contrived and prayed for that was turned down by God because it was too big. You can believe Him for anything when in the context you’re looking at the advancement of the kingdom and you’re renewing your mind, you can believe Him for anything.

Let me give you an example: HeartCry. People ask me to give presentations on HeartCry. I want to make this real, that this isn’t some antiquated guy who used to do these things in the past. I can’t tell you how many times He’s delivered us. At HeartCry, our financial principles are based upon George Mueller’s principles of his orphanage. We do not raise funds. We do not ask for money. We do not make our needs known. If a church asks us to come explain what we do in the mission, we will come and explain what we are currently doing, not what we would do if we had more money. 

Not this Christmas, but last Christmas, nobody knew it except me, the financial guy, and one board member. It was December 31st. We had a $150,000 deficit. Now that doesn’t mean that we owed somebody $150,000. It just meant we had spent that much beyond our budget and basically almost had nothing. Okay? Nobody knew. Nobody knew. But God had told us just a few days before we felt that we were supposed to do something really wild in Asia, and we did it. We took on something like, I don’t know what it was, 45 more missionaries knowing this was the case. But we knew, God wants to reach Asia. God desires that everybody in Asia hears the Gospel. This has opened up. It’s biblical. These men are sound. We’re going to do it. Nobody knew. I’m in my study. It’s December 31st. That’s the last day of the year. It’s 10:00 in the morning. I’m studying the Word of God and lifting up my worries in prayer. Kevin comes in (our financial guy). He’s kind of teary-eyed. I said, “Kevin, what’s wrong?” He said, “Um, somebody just sent – I don’t know who this is – $60,000.” I said, “Really?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “One check. It’s $60,000.” So we got down on our knees. We thanked God. I went back to my Bible study. He went back to his computer. Twelve o’clock he comes in. I don’t have the figures exactly right, but (unintelligible) it’s been awhile. He comes in. He’s teary-eyed. I said, “Kevin, what’s wrong?” Someone just sent $100,000. I said, “You’re kidding.” He said, “No, someone just sent…” I said, “You mean, 60 and 40.” He goes, “No. 60 and 100 thousand. Somebody just sent $100,000.” I said, “Who?” He goes, “I don’t know.” Alright. We go back. Two o’clock he comes in. He’s really looking pale. I said, “Kevin, what’s going on?” He said, “Well, we got a check for $60,000.” “I know.” “No, we got another check for $60,000.” I said, “You’re kidding.” “No.” At the end of the day, $326,000 came in. Nobody knew at all what was going on. 

Now, I can tell you that over and over and over. This last year, a similar thing happened. It didn’t happen in one day, but it happened in one month. Now I want you to think about something. God chose the last day of the year. Why? Because He wanted to show everybody He doesn’t need 365 days. He doesn’t even need 24 hours. What I’m saying is the more you cut yourself off from the arm of the flesh, the more you desire the advancement of His kingdom, and the more you live dependent on Him in prayer, you will see more miracles than you could ever imagine! This is Caleb. There’s just all kinds of mountains to conquer. Pick one out! And go for it! Knock down some walls. Climb a mountain, but don’t do it in the arm of the flesh. The more you cut yourself off from the help of men, the more you will have the help of God. The more you make pronouncements to men so that you may gather their strength for you, the less you will seek God. Oh my dear friend, there’s no end to what God will do. As a dear man says, God delights in vindicating the confidence of His children. (incomplete thought) Prayer.

Prayer. But not just prayer for ministry, prayer for your own life. You’ve got besetting sin. You wallow in it. You go get all kinds of counsel. You can never get any release. But do you go to Him? Have you spent all night tarrying before Him in prayer? Have you cried out to Him? Have you fasted? Have you sought Him? Have you grabbed a hold of the horns of the altar saying I will not let You go until you bless me? How many of you have wrestled with the Nazarene all night? Saying I will not let You go unless You bless me. I always tell people, Jacob was a better fighter than me. They say why? He only got touched in one hip. I got both of mine replaced. I’m no scholar. I’m not up here telling you things I read in a book. But to kneel before your God, like I said, kneeling before an F5 tornado three feet away. That’s what will leave an imprint on a man. To wrestle with the Nazarene – just find out how strong that Carpenter’s arm happens to be. When He grabs you with it and throws you to the ground, you’ll know His strength. But in His blessing, He turns that arm around and fights for you. You’ll know His strength to a greater degree. I’m talking about experience, not just reading the Puritans – following them in their life.

So we must pray. We must pray. We must pray. What does it look like? 1 Thessalonians: Pray without ceasing. Ephesians 6:18, “With all prayers and petitions, pray at all times in the Spirit,” in the power of the Spirit. That’s not referring to tongues. It’s referring to being empowered by the Spirit of God to pray. “With this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for the saints.” Psalm 105:4, “Seek the Lord in His strength; seek His face continually.” I hear people today and I say do you pray? They go, well, I kind of pray as I go. I say, no, you don’t. No, you don’t. There’s a lot of wisdom handed down from the Tozers and the Ravenhills, and here’s what one of them is: You learn to pray continuously only by praying with Him alone. The practicing of the presence of God does not come by just walking around thinking you’re doing it. I have found out that the men and women who can most dwell with God throughout their day no matter how mundane it is are people who spend copious amounts of time alone with God in their prayer closet. And from that, you begin to develop a sense of the presence of God and praying. So that as you’re walking through the church after you preach and you see a face that turns toward you and you know that person is seeking your counsel, immediately you head towards them lifting up prayers to God: Give me wisdom to discern this need and give an answer from Your Scriptures. You wake up in the morning and you know that your wife is a bit distraught: Lord, how to deal with this? Or a wife to a husband. Constantly crying out to Him, this communion.

Frank Laubach. Frank Laubach. Do you know who I’m talking about? Have you ever heard the statement: He’s so heavenly minded, he’s no earthly good? Well, most people are so earthly-minded, they’re no heavenly good. Frank Laubach is a very unique individual. You know what his goal was in his journal? It comes out very clear. His one goal in life was to spend one entire day with uninterrupted thoughts of Christ. That was the great goal of his life. You say, yeah, one of those spiritual kooks that’s so heavenly-minded that he’s no earthly good. Frank Laubach taught the entire Philippines to read so that they could read the Bible. You can go to the Philippines right now and talk to people about Frank Laubach. They’ll say, “Frank Laubach, yeah, I know about him. I studied about him in history.” He’s a Christian man who taught all the islands of the Philippines to read so that they could read the Bible. So I guess being heavenly minded is pretty earthly good, isn’t it? Just think of it, this man taught all these islands to read, and yet his greatest goal was to have uninterrupted thoughts of Christ and communion with Christ. You see, we’re not a meditative people. We’re not a contemplative people. We’re not a people who sit quietly. We are a people of noise. We are a people that every 20 minutes we have to have a commercial or we can’t even watch a TV program. But in Christ, we can regain what’s been lost.

I had a professor, and I know it sounds really funny, but he told me one time, he said, “Washer, I want to bring you to a point where you can sit in the middle of a hundred acre field and be so quiet before God, you can hear a caterpillar crawling across a leaf. Now, I know that sounds a little mystic to you. The fact of the matter is how many times do you sit before the Lord in silence? Just quiet. People say, “I never hear from God.” Do you listen? You know, you wouldn’t walk in front of the president talking. You would keep your mouth shut until he addressed you. But you go before God, before you even hit your knees, you’re already telling Him stuff. Do you ever think about listening? Meditating on the Word of God? Listening?

An illustration I heard a long time ago: A man worked in this big, noisy factory – just wheels grinding and everything else – and he lost his watch. It was a very important watch that his father gave him. He lost it while he was working there in the factory during the day. I mean, how are you going to find this thing? The factory’s full of men, wheels are grinding, everything’s going on, noise, smoke, steam – there’s no way to recover that watch. The next day though he showed the workman his watch – he had found it. And they said how did you find the watch? He said I waited till the factory was shut down and all the wheels stopped and all the men were gone, and I laid quietly on the floor and I listened… tick… tick… tick… tick… and I found my watch. 

Think about it. We’re not a people like that. If you walked into a church in which for 5 minutes, everyone was silent, you’d probably call it a cult. You walk in a church and there’s media blaring at you. There’s pictures on screens. People talking, everything going on. Think about it. All the noise? I don’t know if I correctly remember the poem. What was it? Weak from the journey, the long passing days, hungry to worship, to join in the praise. Christ coming in from the wilderness and He goes into the temple. And instead of finding silence in the temple, it says, shock met with anger that burned on His face as He entered the wasteland of that barren place. That the temple had become more like a wilderness than the wilderness itself. Then it talks about how He makes a cord, a whip. It says they’ll flee from the harm of the Carpenter’s strong arm. And then the poem says, at last the noise and confusion gave way to His Word, at last sacred silence so God could be heard. Do you know anything of a night watch? Do you know about a night watch? Do you ever wake in the night just to watch and pray? Just to sit alone with God in the night? In the dark? We are not a very spiritual people, are we? We need to pray.

Now, the last thing that I want to say and we’ll quit here. We must abide in His Word. We must abide in prayer. And this is one that is most beautiful to me. Abiding in Christ is synonymous with abiding in Christ’s love. D.A. Carson writes, “The imagery is now changed because the agricultural metaphor has its limitations. It does not depict the unfathomable love that sets the disciples in this new intimacy.” You must abide in the love of Christ. Now, I want us to look at this in two ways: positionally and actively. The language here’s really important. It really is. I want you to listen. He says, “Just as the Father has loved Me,” in verses 9 and 10, “I have also loved you.” Now, Greek scholars tell us that the aorist tense here probably suggests completeness or perfection. So what He’s saying is as the Father has completely and perfectly loved Me, so I perfectly and completely love you. Now, I’ve written here, this is the first side of the coin or the foundation of the building. To be fruitful, we must be utterly convinced or persuaded of Christ’s love for us. Then we must live in continuous dependence upon Christ’s love, constant reliance upon Christ’s love, constant, persistent imbibing of Christ’s love.

Now, what do I mean by all that? Jude says this: “Keep yourself in the love of God.” Now, Paul says this: That he is constrained by the love of Christ. Keep yourself in the love of God. Paul is constrained by the love of Christ. Now many people think wrongly about this. When Paul says that he is constrained by the love of Christ, many think that Paul is saying I’m constrained by the great love that I have for Christ. Let me share with you something. You know the song – just any song that says, “Oh, how I love Jesus…” When everyone’s singing that – and it’s true to sing that; that’s a good song – but I kind of change the words because I’m a terrible singer anyway. I go: Oh, how Jesus loves me. The reason why is I look at my love for Christ and I really don’t see anything worth singing about. But I look at the love of Christ for me, I see a whole lot worth singing about. Now don’t say it’s unbiblical to sing “Oh, How I Love Jesus.” The psalmist says that he loves the Lord, okay? We should love the Lord. The point I’m trying to make is the strength of Paul Washer’s life is not how much he loves Jesus; it’s how much Jesus loves him. That little change there will change everything.

Let me share with you something that happened. As I said in my testimony this morning, I had a father that was very demanding. If you scored a 98, why didn’t you score 100? If you scored 20 points in the basketball game, you could have scored 30. On and on… I was kind of never in the inner circle of anything. You know, I wasn’t one of the cool guys when I was young. I wasn’t this. I wasn’t that. Here’s what happened. When I got saved, I thought this is going to be my one chance. I want to be in God’s inner circle. I want God to love me like He loves His favorites. I know that’s wrong, but that was my mentality. And I know it was fleshly and full of pride, but I’m just telling you the facts. And I decided this is the one place where you can really go all out even if you’re not the smartest and even if you’re not the prettiest and even if you don’t have the most muscles. I mean, there’s nothing to hinder you in this endeavor except your own passion. If you want to be one of the top guys in this and really be loved by God and appreciated, this is it. All you have to do is have passion. 

And buddy, I had it. I went to Peru. Worked 18 hours a day. Lived on nothing. Just wild. And every day became more of a grind. Every day I would see more failure, more failure, year after year, until finally one day as a young man – I’ll never forget it – it was in the town of Mia Flores up on the third floor of this old building that we were renting during the war because we were using it for a church and to help street kids. I was on the third floor. There was a few steps from the third floor to the half other part of the third floor where I slept. And right there, I crashed. Totally exhausted every possible way after years of just full bore, out of my mind serving Christ. And I crashed. And I crashed in all my failure right on those steps and I laid down there and I cried and I cried and I cried. I said I don’t want to go to hell because I know something of what is there. I don’t want to go to hell, but I don’t want to go to heaven. I am so ashamed of my performance. I’ve not been able to do any of this right. I know You have servants. I know You have Your Spurgeons. I know You have all these kind of people and they pleased You, and I know when You look at my life, it just must be a joke. I just want to go somewhere when I die where I don’t have to suffer, but I don’t have to look at You and be so disappointed and see the disappointment in Your face. I know that’s insane. I know theologically it’s incorrect. But it’s where I was. 

And it was there that in one moment the sin and vileness of everything I was saying was made known to me. And you would think that that would grind me even more to powder. No. God should have struck me down for those kinds of attitudes. But it was there, empty, empty of any hope of ever pleasing God – because not only had I failed in what I intended to do, what I intended to do was actually evil. That in one moment, I began to understand I am loved. I do not have to move a quarter of an inch this way, a quarter of an inch that way. I do not have to perform. I do not have to do it. I am loved in Christ. The very moment when God should have most judged me, He most showed me His love. What a God!

Brothers, you are so wrong in what you think about men of God. Now, hopefully, they are sincere in that we do pray and we do want to be following hard after Christ, but men of God in their best moment are only worthy of hell. And what you need to see is the thing that can really make you strong is not that you look at your life and you’re able to see all the things you’re doing right. No, you give up looking at your life to find something that you’re doing right and worthy of being loved for, and you look at the finished work of Christ. And you look at Christ. Just Christ and all that He’s done. And you understand He loves you. And you don’t have to perform. And no, you were not saved to serve. You weren’t even saved to love God. You were saved so God could love you. And then out of that great love for you and His empowering Spirit, you would be able to give some return on that. But that you are loved! It’s a magnificent thing! Do you realize all that you can attempt when you no longer fear failure? When you no longer fear disappointment?

So many believers, after talking to them, this is what I’ll tell them: So many believers – I’ll go, I have discerned your problem. You honestly think that the first time you look into the face of Christ, you’re going to see a scowl. Think about it. Yes, I know there’s a judgment throne for believers. I know all these doctrines. Don’t think I don’t. I do. But I want to tell you, believer, He didn’t shed His own blood on that tree so that the first time He sees you He would be able to show you His disappointment. You see that? I mean, it’s the love of God. It’s what God did for us in Christ that sets us free and empowers us to know that you’re loved, to know that you’re loved.

I remember when my son Ian, he was just a little boy and he’s always been very confident. He’s always been like: Okay, I’m here. The party can begin. You know, he’s just always been very confident. And I remember when he was a little boy that he was laying on my bed asleep and I walked in, and he woke up when I walked in. And this is what he did: He woke up – and I was always afraid of my father. He woke up. He turned around and he went: There wasn’t a doubt in his mind what should happen here. He is loved and his dad’s going to run over there and give him the biggest hug in the world. What a joy!

To know that you are loved. You say, oh, but I failed. Why do you think He died? What is this death all about? Just so He can say that He forgave you and then show you constantly all the reasons why He shouldn’t? He saved you to put that all away so that He could have brothers that He would not be ashamed to announce them to the congregation; to say that they are His brothers. He has set you free to be loved. It doesn’t matter how big your ministry is or isn’t. It doesn’t matter what you do or don’t. You are loved if you are in Christ. 

Now the unconverted church person hears that and goes, well, great, I’ll just keep sinning. It doesn’t matter what I do. I’ll just keep sinning. But the person who’s been truly regenerated by the Spirit of God, what does he do? If God loves me this way, I so desire much more to be holy. One of the most pathetic things that a preacher has to do is tell believers that they’re loved of God because there’s no way for us to describe the greatness of that love for His people. Sometimes when I’m preaching pastorally, when I was a pastor or when a few times I’ve taken over a church for a few months in order to help it because it was struggling, everybody hears me preaching on YouTube. The meanest man in the world. 

And I’ve had those same people show up because I’ve come into their area to help a church. And I’ve had young men show up and listen to me preach to that church and it be a very backward church – a church with a lot of problems, a lot of sin. And some young men kept showing up and coming, and finally they went to one of my friends after hearing me preach for several weeks, they came to one of my friends and they said this: “We’ve got a question.” He said, “Yeah?” They said, “We respect Brother Paul a lot, but has he compromised?” The guy says, “Well, what do you mean?” He goes, “Well, everybody knows this church has a lot of problems and all he’s done for weeks is taught on the love of God. We expected to get some YouTube stuff, you know? Sermon jam? Having smoke coming out of his ears preaching really hard?” 

You see, here’s what you need to understand. If someone has been truly converted – truly converted – you do not have to manipulate them with fear. You do not have to coerce them. If they’ve truly been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. the more they come to understand the glories of God in the face of Christ, the more they come to understand the love of God on their behalf, the more they’ll be driven to holiness. And if they’re not, it’s because they’re not sheep. They’re goats. When I come to Christians – and yes, sometimes Christians need to be rebuked and warned and all kinds of things, but basically, when I’m dealing with the Christian, my greatest desire is to explain to them how much they are loved by God in Christ. And I find that when people come to understand – truly regenerate people – how much they are loved, they seem to blossom. Keep yourselves, Jude said, in the love of God. That doesn’t mean: live in such a way so that God will love you. It means this: Keep yourself basking in His love.

If you tell me to come to your house because you’ve got a plant that isn’t growing, and it’s wilting and dying, you say, Brother Paul, what do you think the problem is? I say, well, show me the plant. You take me into a closet where you’ve kept the plant for six months. Again, I’m going to go, well, I’m not really an expert at growing plants, but I think if you put this thing out in the sun, it might do better. The devil is constantly trying to convince the believer that God’s love isn’t as the Bible says. And when we begin to believe that we wilt, we die. Keep yourself believing the truth about the love of God and it will cause you to prosper. It will cause you to grow. It will cause you to bear fruit. The sunshine of God’s love upon you. Last night, a young man came to me and was talking about I feel bad sometimes. You are so passionate talking about Christ the way that you did and sometimes my heart is dead. And I said, “Young man, sometimes my heart is dead.” Sometimes my zeal wanes. Even last night, the tears I shed were not: Oh, this man loves Jesus so much. The tears were: God, how can You love me so much and yet my heart be so cold? You see, it’s not our love for God that keeps us on an even keel. It is God’s constant love for us.

I had a young man come to me one time and he was a very godly man – young man – pursuing Christ. And he actually wrote me an email and he said this. He said, “Brother Paul, I am so unrighteous and so ungodly and so ignorant of God.” So I wrote him back, I said, “Dear brother, you are much more ungodly and much more unrighteous than you now know. Signed, Paul.” I have the gift of encouragement. And he called me back up and he was like, “Thank you?” “Why did you write that?” I said, “Because I want to prove to you something, son.” I’ve watched your life. You’re following hard after Christ. In many ways, when I look at you, I seem to think of myself that I lost my first love. I said you’re following harder after Christ than I appear to be, but I’m much happier than you. And he said how can that be? I said, son, I’ve given up on trying to earn my own keep in the kingdom of heaven. I said, son, when you get up in the morning and you have a five hour time of prayer and you read the Word for 25 hours just in that morning, and you go out, you witness to everybody, you’re even nice to cats. You’re a testimony to Christ. You’re just walking in the Spirit. I said, and you come home at night, how do you feel? He says I feel good. I said what about the next morning when you get up, you slept in too late, you missed your time with the Lord, you kicked the cat, you had an opportunity to witness, you didn’t do that, and so on and so forth, how do you feel? He said horrible. 

Now there’s a sense, and I want to be very careful so someone doesn’t pick me apart on this sermon – there’s a sense in which yes, there was sin, (unintelligible). But I rebuked him of idolatry. And he said why idolatry? I said your performance is the source of your joy. I said son, even when you got up and had the 25 hour quiet time and you did all the stuff you did, you still only earned enough to find maybe a cooler spot in hell. I said a man at his best does not deserve the love of God. I said I’ve come to realize that over the years. I said your joy is based on your performance. I said son, my joy is based on the finished work of Jesus Christ and that’s the difference between me and you. Do you see that?

What is the Christian life like? It is like this: It has to do with revelation, brokenness, and joy. You say, well, what do you mean? A man is walking – he doesn’t know Christ, he’s unconverted. He hears a Gospel preacher one day and the Spirit of God renews his heart. For the first time in his life, he sees a glimpse of how God truly is. And in seeing that, he sees a glimpse of how he truly is, something of his sin. And it breaks him and he repents, but he’s not left to despair. Why? Because he also sees in that revelation the grace of God in the face of Christ and he’s filled with joy as he believes. You see that? Then he gets up the next day, and what happens? As he’s walking through his Christian life he sees a greater revelation of who God is, a greater revelation of God’s holiness. And what does it do? It breaks him deeper than the day before. It causes his repentance to be deeper because he sees himself even in a greater light now, and sees the need for brokenness and repentance. But he’s not left to despair. But he looks at the grace of God in the face of Christ and his joy is greater than the joy he had the day before. And you walk through your entire Christian life that way until you’re 90 years old and at 90 years old you see more of the holiness of God than you ever could have imagined. You see more of the darkness of your own soul than you ever could have imagined. You’re more broken than you could have ever imagined, and yet your joy is greater than you could have ever imagined. But what happens is there’s been a holy transaction. When you started, your joy was coming from who you were and what you could do. Now at 90, you’re empty of that, and your joy only comes from Christ. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be. All our joy, all our hope – everything in Christ.

Well, now that I’ve summed up the entire Christian life, I guess we can close the conference. Be blessed in what God has done for you in Christ. Be blessed. Rejoice! Look unto Him! Look unto Him. Inward looks are necessary, but to hold your gaze inwardly only leads to death. Look to Christ. Because He is greater than every one of your failures and your weaknesses and your sins. I sing because I’m happy. I sing because I’m free. It was all finished at Calvary. It was all finished at Calvary.

Let’s pray. Father, thank You for Your Word. I pray, Lord, that out of this, that Your people will be helped, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

link:https://illbehonest.com/how-to-abide-in-christ-paul-washer