Abiding in Christ

“I am the vine’ you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NIV

Although we are familiar with John 15:5, do we really understand what Jesus was attempting to teach us about abiding in Him? What does it mean to abide (remain) in Christ? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to abide means “to remain; to stay.”  Abiding in Christ is a sign of a close, personal relationship with Him. It’s about choosing to know Jesus, listen to Him, and place your trust and belief in Him. Christ becomes the substance and source of our lives when we abide in Him.

In John 15, as the last hours of His life approached, Jesus gathered His disciples to remind them and all of us of one very important truth: Jesus is the Vine, our life-source, and we are His branches (v. 5). It demonstrates a total dependence in Him. Without Him, neither you nor I can do anything. The branch gets its life from the Vine. This source provides the branch with nutrients and water. Should the branch separate from the Vine, it will not be able to survive on its own. You and I cannot bear fruit without Him. We have to become completely dependent on Him.

What does that mean? When we choose to handle things on our own, we are acting as the “vine.” As a result, we get frustrated when things don’t go as we had planned. Jesus is NOT someone we should add to our lives; rather, He is the source of life. We cannot bear fruit if we are separated from the Vine. The Vine is our source of life. You are the branch; to do anything for Jesus, you must remain in Him. Our society encourages individuals to be independent and self-reliant. It may be effective in the world, but it will not work in your Christian life. To successfully live a Christian life, one must completely rely on Jesus. He is our source of salvation and on whom we must rely for all matters.

Jesus seeks a personal relationship with us. God’s gift of salvation is free, but in order to have a close relationship with Him, we must walk and depend on Him in the same way that a branch does on the Vine. Jesus, as the Vine, is there to provide us with guidance and instructions and to be by our side throughout our entire journey. Recognizing this helps you to understand that because you are in Christ, you don’t need to do anything in this life without His help. Yet, we often tend to lean away from the Vine and try to branch out on our own (pun intended). I’m still not sure why we do this because when we do, we are pulling away from our source of life and strength. We have no hope when we try to work things out on our own strength, just as the branch has no hope when disconnected from the Vine.

Pruning the branches.

I’ve discovered that pruning can be quite painful. Consider the times we go through trials and testing. Even though we don’t like it, the Vine needs to grow healthy in order to produce fruit at the appropriate time and season. Last year, I had the opportunity to visit a vineyard. I saw what happened when a branch broke off from the Vine. The branch withers and dies because if it is too far away from the Vine. When a branch is only partially separated from the Vine, the vinedresser carefully trims it and reattaches it to the Vine using a splint and soft string. But if the branch is even slightly detached, it must be cut off and burned since it cannot be reattached to the Vine.

At that moment, I saw myself as one branch that needed to be pruned. I turned to the Lord for guidance in removing all obstacles preventing me from fulfilling my purpose. Do I still need pruning? Definitely. The Lord trims us daily. God will prune us if we allow thorns to choke us and separate us from the Vine, which is the source of our life.

God, our Father, knows each of us individually. He knows every hair on our heads. He knows what makes us happy and what makes us sad. But He also knows what causes us to stumble. That is why He carefully removes all those things from our hearts that do not belong there. According to Jeremiah, God has good plans for us (see Jeremiah 29:11). He wants what is best for us. So, when He begins the process of the pruning, we may not appreciate those small or sometimes significant cuts, but He makes them in order to help us grow into the person He created us to be.

So, how do we abide in Jesus? To walk with Jesus means to maintain constant communion with Him. How can we ensure that we stay connected with Him?

• Seek refuge in Him for security.
• Choose to rely on Jesus as your source of strength.
• Completely surrender your life to Him.
• Pursue His kingdom and righteousness.

Sometimes, our busyness and constant striving prevent us from prioritizing what really matters. Seek comfort from Jesus in times of uncertainty, reassured by His love and knowing that He will act in accordance with His plan. By abiding in Jesus and trusting Him, we can let go of our worries about our current circumstances and find rest in Him, knowing that He is capable of completing the good work He started.

Abiding in His Word.                                                                                                     

God knows that we need to be fed both physically and spiritually. God provided the Israelites with nourishment both physically and spiritually during their time in the wilderness. When I converted to Christianity forty-three years ago, I received guidance to read the New Testament and develop a study schedule to delve into the Scriptures. As I developed spiritually, I came to understand that having a plan was necessary but not enough. I found it challenging to understand what the Lord was trying to tell me because I was jumping from book to book. I began my journey with Jesus by asking for His guidance as I read through the Bible, meditated on His Word, and sought the Holy Spirit’s direction on applying the message.

Roger C. Palms (1983) gave the following description of abiding in a passage in his book “The Pleasure of His Company”:

That’s what life in Christ is all about—abiding. It is not the fruit-producing that matters, it is the abiding. The producing comes from the Vine; the branches are only the fruit bearers. To be an abiding branch is to be a faithful branch. The fruit will come. And the fruit that is borne, whether it be large fruit or small fruit, abundant or not so abundant, is his doing. Our role is to be attached to the Vine, to fit into our place—to abide. (p. 88)

Friends, the ultimate source of life and nutrients for the branches is the Vine.

King David stated in Psalm 139:1-5:

“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know, when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I will say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.”

King David clearly understood this principle of abiding in the Lord. He was nothing without the Lord; the same is true for us. When we abide in Jesus, the true Vine, it means we have complete trust in Him, no matter what season we are in.

The Scripture tells us we are meant to bear fruit that brings glory to the Father. Abiding means making yourself comfortable with the Lord to the point that you completely surrender your heart to Him. But this can only happen when we put Jesus first in our lives and remove everything that takes God’s place in our lives. When we abide in His Word, we come to know Jesus better and have a more intimate relationship with Him. And once we know Him, we won’t need to be afraid because we will understand that God is with us and in us.

Friends, are you struggling to remain in Jesus? Are present circumstances affecting your daily walk with Jesus? No matter where you are right now, be assured that the safest place to be is with our Lord Jesus.

Jesus extends His invitation with open arms. Are you willing to accept it? Are you willing to go to Him and entrust your worries and concerns into His care? I know it’s difficult. Only when I fully surrendered to Him did my life change. My desires ceased to be my own and became His. No matter the unexpected circumstances, I trusted He provided strength and carried me through every hardship.

Here are a few questions to guide your thoughts on abiding in Christ while meditating on His Word.

1. Spend some time pondering the verse that states, “‘I am the vine, and you are the branches.” If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.” What lesson do you believe God is trying to teach you in this verse?
2. What significance does “abiding” have for you in your life right now?
3. What is the biggest obstacle that prevents you from spending time with Jesus?

Further study on Abiding:

• John 15:4 – Jesus abides with us! He urges us to stay connected with Him, just as He is connected with us, in order to become more like Him.
• According to John 14:16, the Holy Spirit will always stay with us as our helper, counselor, and comforter.
• As we remain in the Lord Jesus and in God our Heavenly Father, the gospel message, the word of truth, abides in us (1 John 2:24-25). This, then, is our promise to remain in Him forever – the gift of eternal life.
• Colossians 2:6-7- “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. “
• 2 Thessalonians 2:15- So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
• 2 Timothy 3:14- But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.
• 2 John:9- Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teachings of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Prayer:

Lord, we are grateful for Your love, faithfulness, and grace that we do not deserve. Our longing is to abide in You, O Lord, and remain connected to You, our life-giving source. Amid life’s ever-challenging moments, You are the one constant. You are the cornerstone of our strength, safety, and stability. May Your radiant presence enlighten us and may we be overwhelmed by Your majestic glory. May Your kindness and compassion envelop us, and may we forever depend on Your presence.  In Your precious name, we offer thanks and give You glory, Amen.

Reference

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

Merriam-Webster. (2024). Abide. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved June 28, 2024, from https://​www.merriam-webster.com/​dictionary/​citation

Palms, R. C. (1983). The Pleasure of His Company. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House      Publishers.