10b I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
EXHORTATION:
A threefold commitment from the LORD God to His people is found in God’s “I will’s” — I will, I will, I will — in this portion of Isaiah 41:10. Oh, the certainty of the promise! His assurance to His people speaks of His foreknowledge and readiness to help them in the midst of their troubles. In its context, the Lord revealed to them the great troubles that the nation of Israel and the world around them would face. However, the Lord wanted them to know that He remained committed to them as their unchanging and unfailing God. He had already said in the early part of this verse, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God”. The LORD God is not like those who abandon us in the hour of our need. He is a God who remains faithful to His people as their true companion. He wants His people to always remember, particularly in times of adversity, that they can count on Him to aid them.
Firstly, the LORD promised: “I will strengthen thee”. The Hebrew word for “strengthen” has the idea of making firm something that is exhausted and weakened, or emboldening a discouraged and distressed heart. In the earlier chapter, the LORD spoke illustratively about His strengthening ¬– “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31).
Secondly, the LORD promised: “yea, I will help thee”. Now in this chapter of Isaiah, the LORD graphically portrayed His help – “For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 41:13-14).
Thirdly, the LORD promised: “yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” The word “uphold” has the idea of laying hold of something to support it. The word “right hand” denotes strength and action. His right hand will never act unjustly, but always according to His everlasting righteousness. Just as He has promised, He will uphold us. All His words to us are a well-guaranteed promise. Let us rest in His promises.
10a Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God.
EXHORTATION:
These assuring words pertaining to God’s presence were given to Israel in the context of Isaiah’s prediction concerning the conquest by the Persian king, Cyrus. The latter is referred to as the “man from the east” in verse 2. Some two centuries before this Persian king was born, Isaiah predicted his victories, even calling him by name in later chapters (cf. 44:28; 45:1). According to verses 6 and 7, because of his all conquering military advance, the trembling nations would be driven to help and encourage one other and also to turn to their idols for help, but all to no avail.
However, the Lord assured His people: “But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away” (vv. 8-9). God gives to His people the assurance of His protection and friendship. God has a purpose in the rise and fall of the nations; Israel did not have to fear (vv. 10, 13-14) because God was with them and working out His purposes.
Like Israel, we all will have fears in frightening and difficult circumstances. It is important that we do not turn to anyone else but to our God to overcome our fears. He is faithful to see us through all the frightening circumstances around us.
The first and foremost encouragement is found in the promise of Divine presence: “I am with thee”. He is ever by His people. As Psalm 46:1 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” God is with us though He is invisible to us. He is with us in secret, sustaining power. He knows well how to deliver us in the midst of trouble, and to infuse strength into our distressed hearts.
Sometimes the spirit of dismay may overwhelm us, even though we are aware of the Lord’s presence with us. So the Word of God tells us: “be not dismayed, for I am thy God”. The Lord presents Himself to us as our God; He tells us to remember that He is our God. Is it not the most endearing relationship we can ever enjoy? Friends and relations may not be around to help us. Our possessions might be taken away. But the Lord is always with His people as their God. The Lord will not cast His people away. He is our covenant-keeping God; He will not leave us. So, let us not fear.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
EXHORTATION:
These words were penned by David as the last verse of a psalm in which he spoke of his assurance concerning the abiding presence of God’s goodness throughout his life. Incidentally, the last section of this psalm (namely verses 9 to 11) has been cited by the apostle Peter in Acts 2:25-28 to refer to Christ’s death and resurrection, saying, “For David speaketh concerning him”. According to Acts 13:35-37, the apostle Paul, while preaching at Antioch, also cited a portion from verse 10 of this psalm in reference to Christ’s resurrection, saying, “Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” So, these words of David transcended his own experience and became prophetically true in Christ.
Thus in a fuller sense, the joyful experiences associated with Christ’s resurrection are true of believers of all ages. Christ’s resurrection guarantees both spiritual and bodily resurrection to all who come to Him by faith. Our blessing of eternal life and hope of resurrection are all built upon Christ’s death and resurrection. We are all spiritually united in Christ’s experience of resurrection, for Paul says in Ephesians 2:6, “And (God) hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”.
So like David, every believer can say with thanksgiving to the resurrected Christ, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Everyone who walks with the risen Lord will be shown the path of life, where His presence always provides fullness of joy while His right hand bestows pleasures. On earth and in heaven, we shall have these inexhaustible spiritual experiences continually.
The believer’s life is a journey with the risen Christ through the path of life. Even when he goes through the valley of the shadow of death, he can be filled with the hope of eternal life. With the risen Christ, sin and death cannot destroy his soul’s spiritual joy and pleasure. Only with the Lord Jesus Christ can one have those glorious experiences. No one can inherit those experiences on his own. Neither can one find them in the things of this world. Only Christ can show and provide the everlasting life, joy and pleasures.
5b He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
EXHORTATION:
There is great assurance for everyone who wants to triumph over his spiritual failures, dullness and fruitless condition. Jesus here gives to every Christian the most essential key to living a fruitful life. He gives everyone who is discouraged and despondent over his failures, reasons to cheer himself in anticipation of a fruitful life.
A fruitful Christian life is not about one’s sufficiency or ability. One might feel that he is full of weakness. Let him not be ashamed to confess his insufficiency before the Lord. No one can bear fruit by himself, for Jesus had emphatically said that “without me ye can do nothing.” Earlier in verse 4, Jesus said, “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” Admitting one’s inability and failures before the Lord and pleading for His help is the first and foremost step to a fruitful Christian life.
Notice what Jesus said: “without me ye can do nothing.” It is when one attempts to live and do things by his own strength and wisdom that he fails. Even in a small attempt like saying a good word that will glorify God, we will utterly fail without His enablement. We have no power at all to begin or accomplish anything spiritual.
To everyone who recognises and admits his helplessness, Jesus says, “Abide in me and I in you” (v. 4). What a sympathising Saviour is our Lord Jesus! He welcomes His weak and frail child to abide in Him. Oh, what consolation it is that a disappointed and troubled Christian can depend on Christ. Abiding in Christ is to depend upon His wisdom and strength in living a life of faith and obedience to His doctrines and counsels, and in modelling our lives after His example.
Christ assures us that He will abide in everyone who abides in Him. Every Christian who lives in total dependence on and submission to Christ can most assuredly say, “Christ liveth in me.” Like the apostle Paul who lived a triumphant Christian life, everyone who abides in Christ can say, “to me to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21). The glorious assurance is that Christ, who is the source and endless supply of a fruitful life, shall then abide in us and help us to bear fruit. A fruitful Christian pleases and glorifies the Lord, and becomes a blessing to those around him. So, let us always abide in Christ.
First and foremost, we need to observe the sharp distinction that Christ has drawn between the vine and the branches. The branches are not to be confused with the vine, and the vine is to be regarded as very different from the branches. Likewise, the words, “I am” and “ye are” also point to the contrast that Christ wanted us to take note of.
Though there is a firm connection between the vine and the branches, they are never to be considered the same in essence and function. The “branches” can never be the “vine”. There is an absolute necessity for the branches to acknowledge their dependence on the vine. Branches cannot live or function without the vine.
Christ is the vine and believers are the branches. The branches should never assume themselves to be the vine. It is satanic to blur or disregard this very significant distinction that Christ has made here. Ignoring this distinction that Christ has drawn between the believers and Himself is tantamount to Eve’s error when she yielded to Satan’s lie that “ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5)!
There should not be any confusion or doubt regarding the fact that we are only the branches, while only Christ is the vine. To humbly acknowledge our inability to exist as the branches without the vine is an important step to spiritual growth and fruitfulness. Only then shall we see the necessity to abide in Him always, and appreciate and appropriate that vital union which Christ has offered to us.
Secondly, it is important to note that these words of Christ, which emphasise the distinction between the vine and the branches, also affirm the relationship that exists between them. He assuredly says to all those who genuinely trust in Him that they are to Him like the branches which are joined to the vine. Here the Lord portrays a picture of a firm and abiding union between His people and Him.
The Lord is most delighted to encourage us to abide in Him, so that we may be nourished with His love, grace, wisdom and strength. It is His utmost pleasure that we abide in Him and grow as fruit-bearing branches. He does not want us to be like the withering branches. Let us joyfully yield ourselves to abide in the Lord, just as the branches that abide in the vine.
We have much to thank God for – especially for the manifold blessings that we received during last week’s church camp (5-9 June 2023). The LORD’s goodness was abundantly evident in all aspects of the camp. We remember everyone who have laboured with sincerity and love for the smooth running of the camp (organising, logistics, music, chairing, preaching, etc.), for the safety and health of all the participants, and for the encouragement and edification of all through fellowship and acts of kindness. Above all, thank God for enabling His servants to teach God’s Word, so that our hearts may be renewed and revived to live a spiritually-minded, prayerful life of love and service in these end times – as we look forward to the coming of our Lord and Saviour.
Church Camp 2023 Photo
Be Spiritually-Minded (A summary of the Camp 2023 theme messages)
While “the carnal mind is enmity against God” (Rom. 8:7a) and amounts to “death” (Rom. 8:6a), “to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6b). Those who live unashamedly according to their unregenerated, carnal self are in a state of spiritual death, which will culminate in eternal death or “second death” (Rev 21:8). All those who have sincerely turned to Christ in repentance and faith are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, that they may live as spiritually-minded people.
Spiritual-mindedness comes through Spirit-given beliefs from the Bible. A spiritually-minded person acts on spiritual convictions that the Spirit gives according to His truths, which He has revealed in God’s Word. Such spiritual convictions stem not from personal feelings, thoughts, preferences, or opinions. Neither are they natural convictions resulting from external sources of people, occasions, or experiences. The source of our spiritual-mindedness is the Holy Spirit. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5).
In every regenerated person, the Holy Spirit works to exert His spiritual principles. He instructs the saints and leads them according to His Word. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).
Because all the regenerated people now still live in their sin-marred bodies, they will encounter “fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). Paul spoke of this great conflict he had within him in Romans 7:23 – “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Here, “the law of my mind” that Paul mentioned is the spiritual or biblical principles of his mind as a Christian. But in the members of his body, he experienced a “law of sin”, or the carnal principle of the flesh that exerts its enslaving control. However, he says, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Like Paul, all genuine Christians can thank God for the enabling (and experience) of the Holy Spirit’s help to serve the Lord with spiritual-mindedness – though “the law of sin” works continually through our “flesh” or body.
Cultivating Spiritual-Mindedness
Our minds must therefore be carefully guarded against carnal influences and be guided according to biblical truths, in order to live a life pleasing to God as His spiritual people. Scripture cautions us in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Scripture instructs us to diligently keep and guard our heart / mind because “the issues of life” come out of it.
The following 15 biblical exhortations must be carefully observed so as to keep ourselves spiritually-minded:
Watch your mind and stop unscriptural activities of the mind [Prov. 22:5; 23:19; 28:26; Deut. 4:9; 1 Thess. 5:6; Mk. 14:38; Heb. 13:17], and call to mind God’s Word to repent of our sins [Mk. 14:72];
Depart from the vanity of mind and ways of the unregenerate people [Eph. 2:3; 4:17; Php. 3:18-19];
Avoid a doubtful mind [Lk. 12:29];
Have a ready mind to receive God’s Word [Acts 17:11];
Fill your mind with love for God [Matt. 22:37; Mk. 12:30; Lk 10:27];
Embrace humility of mind in service to the Lord [Acts 20:19];
Adopt lowliness of mind in co-labouring for the Lord [Rom. 12:16; Php. 2:3; Col. 3:12-13];
Fight in your mind against the law of sin in you [Rom. 7:23-25; 8:5–7];
Yield your mind to the Holy Spirit [Rom 8:5-7];
Renew your minds according to His Word [Romans 12:2; Eph 4:23; Hebrews 8:10];
Have a biblically persuaded mind [Rom. 14:5];
Have oneness of mind (being same-minded, like-minded) with fellow believers in glorifying God and serving Him [Rom. 15:5-6; 1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 13:11; Php. 1:27; 2:2; 4:2; Philem. 14);
Have the mind of the Lord [1 Cor 2:16; 1 Pet. 4:1; Php. 2:5];
Have a willing and ready mind to give / serve [2 Cor 8:9-12, 19; 9:2; 1 Pet. 5:2];
Hold fast to unshaken mind looking for Christ’s coming [2 Th 2:1-3; 1 Peter 1:13].
1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
EXHORTATION:
The metaphor “vine” that Jesus used to refer to Himself was not an unfamiliar one. Since the land of Israel abounded in vineyards, the illustration was very striking and comprehensible. Moreover, the Old Testament Scriptures on many occasions used “vine” as a metaphor for the nation of Israel. The Jewish people were referred to as God’s vineyard or God’s vine which He had planted (Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:8-16; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 19:10). In those passages, God was the Vinedresser who cared for the vine, Israel. So, Jesus was not introducing a new idea by using the metaphor of a vine and its branches.
But God’s vine, Israel, degenerated and bore no fruit. God, the Vinedresser, grieved over the tragedy of Israel’s fruitlessness. According to Jeremiah 2:21, the Lord God lamented Israel’s corruption, saying, “Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?” Israel had forfeited its privilege as God’s vine to bear fruit for God’s glory.
No longer does blessing come through a covenantal relationship with Israel. Now there is a new vine, and it is the true vine. Jesus proclaimed that He is that “true vine”. Jesus used the word “true” to describe what is spiritually authentic, and thus eternal, heavenly, and divine.
The figure of a vine was chosen to depict a close, permanent, vital union between the vine and the branches. In the rest of John 15, Jesus referred to the believers as the “branches”. He said in John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” Like the branches that depend on the vine for nourishment, support, strength and vitality, believers ought to completely and continually depend on Christ to bear spiritual fruit.
Many who claim to be Christians are fruitless because they fail to depend on Christ. Instead of being attached to the “true vine”, they are tied to a bank account, education, popularity, fame, personal skills, possessions, relationships, carnal pleasures, etc. But none of these things can sustain believers in their spiritual life in order to be fruitful.
The true vine is Christ, and we must live in Him to be always fruitful.
6b I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
EXHORTATION:
These words were spoken by Christ as the answer to Thomas’ question, “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?” (John 14:5). Thomas raised that question upon Jesus’ statement that He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house, and that He would come again and receive them to be with Him where He would be. Thus Jesus, with these words, intended to drive away any doubt in the disciples’ minds as to how one could get to the Father in heaven. That was where Christ said He would be going.
The Lord Jesus Christ does not merely show the way to the Father in heaven, but is Himself the way. There are not many ways to God, as many claim in these days. For Jesus not only exclusively said, “I am the way,” but also emphatically declared, “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Not for a moment did Jesus give the notion that there are several ways to God. Christ is the exclusive and perfect way to God. It is the clear teaching of God’s Word that Jesus Christ is the only access to the Father because He is the only One from the Father who has given His life to redeem us from our sins and reconcile us unto God (cf. Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5).
According to Jesus, He is the way to God because He is also the truth and the life. Jesus is the truth because he reveals the Father and His will unto us (John 1:18). His words and His deeds show us in an exclusive way what the Father has given Him to say and do. Jesus had said in John 5:19, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” In John 8:29, He said, “I do always those things that please him.” He alone is the truth that leads us to God.
Christ is also the life that God promises. Only Christ offers us eternal life in heaven. In His prayer to God, Jesus made this exclusive statement: “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:2-3). Christ is the Way which we ought to follow; He is the Truth which we ought to trust; and He is the Life which we ought to hope for. Christ is the sure way, the infallible truth and the everlasting life.
25b I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
EXHORTATION:
Oh, with what great authority Christ spoke those words! Take note that He said “I am”, and not “I will be”. No human being could speak in such a manner, except the One who came down from heaven. Those are the words of the self-existing God, the Great “I AM”. He alone has the power to give life and to bring one back from death unto life.
Jesus spoke those potent words while he was conversing with Martha, whose brother Lazarus had been dead for four days already. When Jesus said to her, “Thy brother shall rise again”, she replied, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:23-24). At this juncture, Jesus wanted Martha to realise that resurrection, whether future or present, occurs as He wills. Martha had not yet fully perceived that the power of resurrection is with Him. Therefore, Christ here specifically told her that He is “the resurrection”. In other words, Christ is the principal cause of resurrection, i.e. the power unto resurrection abides in Jesus Christ.
In John 5:28-29, Jesus said, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
Not only is Christ the resurrection, He is also the life. Here the word “life” refers to the life which the dead shall have upon the resurrection, even the eternal life which shall follow. Note the order: first resurrection, then life. This is because resurrection opens the door to eternal life in heaven. Both the resurrection and the life are rooted in Christ.
Jesus also said: “he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”. Only those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ can have the hope of eternal life beyond the grave. Death is a grim reality to anyone who rejects Christ’s claim as the resurrection and eternal life; he has no hope of the glorious life in heaven. One’s death ends all opportunities one can have to be sure of one’s eternal blessedness. So, as Jesus said in the next verse, “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:26). While a man is alive, he should believe on Christ; then he shall have the hope and power of heavenly life in him.
Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church adheres to the system of faith commonly known as the “Reformed Faith” as expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith together with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
Our Worship Address
SingPost Centre Level 5 Auditorium 10 Eunos Road 8, Singapore 408600 (next to Paya Lebar MRT station)
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Gethsemane Media Centre 33 Ubi Crescent Singapore 408584
