Christ's Own Dependence

A. B. Simpson was an author, hymn writer, conference speaker, evangelist to the urban masses of New York City, and a missionary statesman.  He founded The Christian and Missionary Alliance and Nyack College.

The following is from his book The Christ Life:

"When you remember what Christ said in the fifth chapter of John, you will see that He had no independent life of His own, but was constantly dependent on His Father for every word and act.

"The Christ life is the very life that Christ lived on this earth.

"Is it not strange to hear Him say, with all His resources, 'The Son can do nothing of himself. As I hear, so I judge.'

"Jesus, who walked this earth as our Example, never tried to be independent, but He constantly received His Father’s life; drew His being from His Father, and lived by Him. 'As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.'

"So He wants you and me to live by Him. He is just repeating the life He lived when He trod the hills of Galilee; utterly dependent, an empty vessel, receiving all from above.

"So, now, He requires you and me to be empty vessels, receiving all from Him. 'In that day'--'When the Spirit of Truth is come,' will He bring something that will make you important, something that will make you so pure that you will sit down and look at your holiness? Not a bit of it.

"This is what happens when the Holy Spirit comes into the heart: 'In that day ye shall know that I am in the Father.' You shall understand how I have been linked with Father and dependent on Him for My very life.  And ye shall learn thus to depend upon Me. 'In that day ye shall know that I am in the Father, and ye in me, and I in you.' You will not know that you are holy and strong; but you will know that I am holy and strong, and in you as your purity and strength.'"