As I was cleaning up those branches, I thought about this metaphor that Jesus uses here in John, the 15^th chapter. If you break a branch off a tree, what’s going to happen to it? It’s going to die! If Christians are unconnected to the source of life and light and vitality, namely God and His Son, we will die, too!

Elsewhere in John’s Gospel, we are impressed with the necessity of maintaining a close relationship. This metaphor has to do with a close walk with the Lord, John 6, verses 27 through 57 [Jesus, the Bread of Life—How are we taught? How do we listen? How do we learn? Verses 45 and 57: Jesus said, “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me…As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.”] As with any close relationship, we must work on our relationship with the Lord. It must be cultivated. It must be sustained. How is it that we do that? Well, there are several ways, but on the top of the list ought to be regular worship, regular Bible study, and regular prayer, both corporate [shared, or joint, as in assembling together], as we are this evening, as well as private.

Third, the Christian life is a life of faith. We cited a moment ago Galatians chapter 2, verse 20 and looked at the first part of that verse. But let’s notice now the entire verse. Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” And he goes on to say, “And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Once again, this is Paul’s personal testimony. He was living a life of faith. That testimony ought to be the testimony every one of us can and should make. The Christian life is a life that begins in faith. “For by grace you have been saved,” Paul says, “through faith,” Ephesians 2, verse 8 [“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”].

Yes, one must believe, that is, have faith. That is the first step along the way to becoming a Christian, to receiving forgiveness of sins, and to having the hope of eternal life. As Jesus Himself said, “He Who believes and is baptized will be saved.” [Mark 16:16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”] Belief—faith—is necessary!

Yes, the Christian life begins in faith, and the Christian life continues in faith, Colossians 1, verse 23 [Colossians 1:21-23: “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”]. And indeed, the Christian life is to end in faith, as well. It begins in faith, continues in faith, and it ends in faith, as Peter says, “receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls,” 1 Peter 1, verse 9.

There are a number of incentives that we could cite to remain faithful, but none is more powerful than this: Jesus said, “Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life,” Revelation 2, verse 10 [“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”].

So the Christian life is a life of faith. It begins in faith, continues in faith, and ends in faith. But it is not a faith that is just a blind faith. Rather, it is a faith that is based on evidence, evidence that comes from God’s creation, evidence that comes from the Word of God itself, Hebrews 11, verses 1 through 6 [“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”]. Take note that, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God,” Hebrews 11, verse 6.

As Christians then, and as an important facet of holy Christian living, we live by faith and not by site. But we put our trust in Christ. We do His Will, even when we may not understand, and even when we cannot see the end.