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NASB | John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 15:5 "I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. |
Subject: Human Power? |
Bible Note: Although this guidance is from the OT, I still think it's instructive to our age since it deals with something as old as sin and God's relationship with His us, his children. As you've alluded there's no scripture in the NT that I can find with such a clear statement as this. Ezek 18:19 "Yet you say, 'Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?' When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live. Ezek 18:20 "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. Ezek 18:21 "But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Ezek 18:22 "All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. Ezek 18:23 "Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live? Ezek 18:24 "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. Ezek 18:25 "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? Ezek 18:26 "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die. Ezek 18:27 "Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. It certainly seems clear from God's Word that if we really are sincere about spending eternity with God our Father, we've got to get serious about getting sin out of the picture on Judgment Day. The only way to be certain of doing that is to get "clothed with Christ" by being baptized in accordance with His directives to His disciples. In answer to your second question, we hear the voice of Jesus knocking on our hearts when we read His Words. The knocking and His voice, of course gets stronger and stronger with each successive time we read His Words. Yes, I suppose a person could call it imagery or imagination but I think it's applicable to everyone who knows and studies God's Word. Let me know what you think. Blessings to you. Country Girl |