Abiding

John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬                   

“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

Jesus makes it clear here that we must remain in Him, connected as we talked about yesterday. Jesus says He is the vine and we are the branches.The branches do not support the vine, they do not provide the water and nutrients for the plant. In fact, they receive those things.

The branches do have the leaves, and I suppose they do provide something through photosynthesis, and the branches are the parts that actually bear the fruit. But the point is, if those branches are not connected to the vine, they are simply going to die. There will be no leaves, there will be no fruit, and in reality there will be no branches, either.

The key, Jesus tells us, is to remain in him and for him to remain in us. Let’s make the point clear here, Jesus is never going to abandon us, he is never going to leave us unless we want him too. It is our choice.

We can, and people often do, abandon Jesus. It might not be so much of a conscious decision, they probably don’t wake up one morning and say, today is the day I desert Jesus. But it happens slowly, over much time, as they gradually make a thousand small decisions that put space between them and Jesus. They probably seem insignificant at the time, hardly worth noting.

People honestly think this is not going to have an effect on their relationship with Christ. It is such a little thing.  But one day they come to the realization they are not as close to Jesus as they once were or maybe they don’t. Maybe they think their relationship with the Lord is fine. And yet, spiritually, they are dead and shriveled up. When that is the case in our lives, we can do nothing except return to God.

The image of a branch gaining all its sustenance and strength from the vine is a beautiful description of our total dependence upon God. Without Whom we can do nothing, for in Him we live and move and have our being.

When Jesus walked the earth, He demonstrated this truth, for He lived His entire life in utter dependence upon the Father. I can do nothing of Myself, He said, I speak only that which I have seen from my Father.

Though Jesus Christ was fully God, He lived His life in His humanity. Jesus lived as God intended man to live, in utter dependence upon God. Christ walked in spirit and truth and only said and did those things that He heard from the Father.

He demonstrated how we should live life. He lived His life so that the life of God could be lived through Him in His humanity. Although Jesus Christ was fully God, He drew all His strength from His Father in heaven.

This demonstrates how you and I should live our lives as God's children drawing all our strength from Jesus for without Him we can do nothing. We are to walk in spirit and truth and to do only those things that we hear from Christ our Saviour, so that His life may be lived in us and through us.

Until we humbly confess that we in and of ourselves can do nothing, we will foolishly and unsuccessfully attempt to produce good fruit in our own strength. Let us meditate on this vital principle, that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. We are to abide in Him and allow His Spirit to live His life through us. As branches, we derive our health and productivity from the vine. Want to live productively for God? Then let your life be joined to Jesus. Invite Him in to remain in you as you draw close to remain in Him!!!

Father, thank You for this day and the sustenance we get from abiding in Jesus. Lord, pour out your abundant blessings over my friend and family today. Lord, teach us to live our lives as You would have us to live in total dependence upon You. Lord, increase our desire to seek You, know You, and remain close to You. Lord, help us to be faithful and not give up when we are tired and weary. Help us to endure Your pruning with grace and strength. Lord, help us to stay fully connected to You, the True Vine, and receive all that You are and all that You desire for us. Lord, fashion Your character in my friend and I and use us today to bless others.

Father, we love You. Amen !