DeVern begins by emphasizing the importance of approaching God's presence with reverence and humility, seeking His living, fresh Word rather than relying solely on human voices or the written Scriptures. His prayer is that this hour be for God's glory and satisfaction, prompting believers to walk softly, aware of their tendency to go their own way. He highlights that many Christians focus on what God can do for them, but God's desire is to move us beyond self-centeredness into a life where His satisfaction is the primary goal. Using the imagery of Israel's vineyard in Isaiah and Hosea, DeVern illustrates how God's people often produce wild or divided grapes, representing a life that is not fully yielded to Him. He warns against the dangers of mixture, lopsidedness, and oldness in spiritual life, urging believers to seek God's fresh work and to cooperate with the Holy Spirit's prerogative. DeVern stresses that only the Holy Spirit can truly expose our enmities, produce genuine death to self, and bring forth real fruit. He advocates for surrendering all activity to God's leading, recognizing that true fruitfulness and spiritual vitality come from abiding in Christ and cooperating with the Spirit's work, rather than striving in our own strength. Ultimately, he calls believers to live in dependence on God's prerogative, trusting Him to develop character, power, and fruitfulness for His glory.
1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: 2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? 5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: 6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
1 Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images. 2 Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.
8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.