Knowing Christ Through Abiding Union With Him

 The following is from T. Austin-Sparks'  book Knowing God in Christ:

"Is it that we are seeking fulness of attainment, reaching out to attain to the fullest, to the whole thought of God? Oh, how many ways we have of seeking to realise that heart desire for full attainment. We pray this way and that, and for many things which we think will bring us into fulness. The Lord will answer, 'I am the way, the truth and the life.' 'Have Me and you have got everything.'

"Do we want to escape from barrenness and fruitlessness of life, to come to the place where life will have something to show for God's satisfaction; not emptiness and barrenness but fruitfulness of that kind which will give Him pleasure? How are you seeking to be fruitful, by what means? You ask the Lord in many ways about fruit-bearing, He will answer, 'I am the Vine.' You cannot bear fruit unless you are in the fruit-bearing Vine, and if you abide in Him, you will bear fruit. It is as natural and spontaneous as anything can be; it is a question of knowing abiding union with Him. It is a matter of knowing Him.

"All these things should bring to us heart rest. I have not been the least of those who have striven, and agonised, and strained, and pressed and reached out for all that the Lord would have, all that is possible. It is possible to wear yourself right out, and kill yourself in a spiritual quest, and the Lord at last says to our hearts: "If you only know Me, things will happen; it will all come to pass without any of your strain, struggle and agony. I am going to bear this fruit. I will bear it through you by way of union and fellowship. Remember that the holy, blessed secret of fellowship is just resting in Me, abiding in Me.'

"If you saw all the branches of the vine every day groaning and agonising, and writhing in order to bear their fruit, you would see something which is altogether unnatural. As a matter of fact you will see nothing of the kind. You will see them abiding there and bearing fruit. It is what we often speak of as the rest of faith.

"What is behind the rest of faith? It is not bringing yourself to a passive state, when you inwardly sink down and say, I am just going to rest. It is knowing the Lord, God in Christ; for the way in which God has joined Himself to us is in Christ, not apart, and the way in which we have been joined to God is in Christ, not apart. The answer to every need is knowing Him in this way."