- I am the vine; you are the branches.
- If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;
- apart from me you can do nothing.
- ......
The Body Of Christ - Part 1
1. God created the heavens, the earth, and everything and everyone in it. Mankind: past, present, and future, does not need anything because God provided all that mankind would ever need. All mankind has been doing throughout the ages is to discover what God had already created through His Son, Jesus. After God did all His work of creating, He blessed and rested on the seventh day.
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
2. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, sin and death came into the world to all people.
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
3. God sent His Son, Jesus, to save the world from sin and death – for those who will listen to Him.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
4. When Jesus died on the cross, He said, “It is finished!” He rose again on the third day, appeared to His disciples, and said, “Peace be with you.” At that point, we were transformed and now have eternal life after trusting and believing in Him – only in Him!
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
5. Jesus chose me and appointed me to bear fruit that will last.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
6. I am not just a sinner, saved by the Grace of God through His Son, Jesus, who was crucified on the cross for all of my sins. God is my Father, and I am His child, with Jesus as my Lord and Savior!
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
7. My Father God does not just see me as His Child: He sees me as His Priceless Child! A child who can tell everyone about His greatness! The greatness of the One who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light!
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light
8a This is how wonderful God’s light is to us through Jesus, our Lord and Savior! First, Jesus lives in our hearts through our faith in Him, and the Father strengthens us with power through His Spirit in our inner being (man’s spirit)!
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
8b. With Jesus living in our hearts, we are grounded in His love. Because we are grounded in His love, we and all the other saints can better understand how wide, long, deep, and high the love of Jesus is! This love of Christ passes all knowledge and helps us to be filled with all the fullness of God!
17b … And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
8c. Now, we can ask for or imagine anything from our Father, God, who can do even more than we ask or imagine, according to the power at work within us. Therefore, let us give God all the glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus for all eternity! Amen.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.