R.A. Torrey (1856-1928) was among the group of Christian leaders who, after public universities had abandoned supporting theism in favor of philosophical naturalism, promoted the founding of seminaries during the late 19th and early 20th century for theological education and training for ministry. From 1912-1924, Torrey served as the Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, now Biola University. Here, he comments on what Jesus means by abiding in Him:
“He had been comparing Himself to a vine, His disciples to the branches in the vine. Some branches continued in the vine, that is, remained in living union with the vine, so that the sap or life of the vine constantly flowed into these branches. They had no independent life of their own. Everything in them was simply the outcome of the life of the vine flowing into them. Their buds, their leaves, their blossoms, their fruit, were really not theirs, but the buds, leaves, blossoms and fruit of the vine. Other branches were completely severed from the vine, or else the flow of the sap or life of the vine into them was in some way hindered. Now for us to abide in Christ is for us to bear the same relation to Him that the first sort of branches bear to the vine; that is to say, to abide in Christ is to renounce any independent life of our own, to give up trying to think our thoughts, or form our resolutions, or cultivate our feelings, and simply and constantly look to Christ to think His thoughts in us, to form His purposes in us, to feel His emotions and affections in us. It is to renounce all life independent of Christ, and constantly to look to Him for the inflow of His life into us, and the outworking of His life through us.”
John 15:1-5 (Jesus speaking)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Write a 250-word response on what you think your life would look like if you regularly abided in Christ, or “renounced all life independent of Christ, and constantly looked to Him for the inflow of His life into you, and the outworking of His life through you.”
