Daily Word

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a baptism into complete union with Jesus, an organic union with Him, so that you become a "branch" in "the True Vine," and He becomes the one and only Source of everything you are and do.

Nowhere else is spiritual Life available for man, only in Him: "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."

In this union with Jesus the Heavenly life, the fruitful Life of the Spirit, flows through you.

The spiritual life is not an achievement. Through his own effort man cannot produce even a drop of spiritual life. It is altogether a divine gift, a function of your union with Jesus: "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."

Read the whole passage 15:1-17 and mark how many times the word "abide" occurs!

This life-union with Jesus has nothing to do with effort, moral excellence or any other capacity in you. You do not become a partaker of the Life of the Spiritual Reality because you deserve it, but only because He loves you: "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My Love."

In His love the Father drew you to Jesus, and when you responded to that Love ("believed") you inherited Eternal Life.

That Love wants to draw you deeper and deeper into the Spiritual Reality and as you continue to respond to His Love, the Life of the Spirit will flow stronger and stronger in you: "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."

To keep the commandments of Jesus is above all to respond to His love, to allow the Holy Spirit to make your love-union with Jesus deeper and stronger day by day!

Then the fulness of His Life will flow into you and you will become the unique person the Father from eternity intended you to be and fulfil the special purpose you were created for: a "branch" that "bears much fruit."

This is the greatest joy a human being can experience: "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."

Fullness of Life, full joy!