“By myself I can do nothing.” (John 5:30)
If ever there was a life that could have been lived independently of the Father in heaven, it was the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. As the second person of the Trinity, Jesus had all the power of the Godhead contained within Him. But instead of using His power independently of the Father, Jesus made the decision of dependence – and this is the pattern you and I must choose for our lives too. Read on and be encouraged today!
When we read the words, “By myself I can do nothing,” it might be easy to picture someone who is utterly helpless — even hopeless. But nothing could be further from the truth when we are talking about the One who uttered those words in the Gospel of John. The omnipotent Son of the Most High God made the decision not to live in the prerogative of His power, but rather in the power of the Holy Spirit; He submitted to the will of His Father in heaven. Jesus made the decision of dependence; His message and His ministry were performed in utter dependence on the will of the Father. In the same sense that our Lord Jesus lived a life of dependence, we are to do the same. We must keep these words of Jesus ever in mind: “I am the vine; you are the branches. . . . Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
By nature, we all want to live in our own strength and for our own glory. This is exactly what happened to Adam and Eve when they bought into the lie of Satan in the Garden of Eden. They chose the way of independence, and the result of their willful rebellion against God was the utter collapse of all of creation. They actually got what they sought: a life of independence apart from God; they were evicted from the Garden and lived east of Eden. Now their lives were marked by confusion and chaos, fear and frustration, disillusionment and death. Is this not the experience of all of us when we choose the way of independence?
How have you chosen to live these days? Have you chosen the way of independence or the way of dependence? To be a disciple of Jesus is to be dependent on Jesus, and to be dependent on Jesus is to live a life of both faithfulness and fruitfulness. When Jesus called on His disciples to “Follow me,” He was calling them to follow — at the deepest level — His pattern of dependence on the Father in heaven. You and I have received the same calling 2,000 years later. But remember, dependence is always a choice . . . a choice that is always yours to make.
What choice will you make today?
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 