Sent by God?

What does it mean to be "Sent by God"?

In the life of Christ, we are the branches, he is the Vine. As branches we don't deterimine our own fruit - what it looks like or how it tastes.

The fruit we produces comes simply from abiding in the Vine.

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing." John 15:4-5

We have heard this verse hundreds of times in our Christian experience, but have be believed it? How often do we go off to do this and that "for Jesus"? Only to find ourselves in the end confused and discouraged?

To "Be sent", isn't the same as "going on our own". It isn't making up our own mind to "do our own thing", or even "work for Jesus".

The branch doesn't "work", it "abides". In fact, the branch doesn't struggle at all, it simple abides in the Vine - the VINE does the work.

Jesus while on earth gave us the perfect example of man's relationship to God. Here is the verse to which I am referring, and then a bit of a paraphrase to being the point out.

"Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you" John 20:21

Jesus said that as the Father sent Him, so He now sends us. So to find out how he sends us, we need only to know how the Father sent Him.

"As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me" John 6:57

The Father sent the Son to LIVE by the Father. But why?

"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works." John 14:10

So that the Father could live by the Son! Now did the Father who is God and eternal need the Son who co-equal and eternal so that he could live? Of course not!

But in this arraignment we see how the Son sends us.

Thought the eternal God, Jesus came to earth and took upon himself human flesh. He became man. Then as man he allowed his body to be used by God the Father to do "His work" while on earth. Thus the Father sent the Son.

"As the Father sent me and I lived by the Father...."

So then how does he send us?

In the same way.

Now the paraphrase: "As the Father sent me.....and I live by the Father......the Father in me He does the works......So I send you.....and you shall live by me, I in you doing my works."

To be sent by the Lord is smply to be abiding in Him so that through us He can do His work.

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