Staying Close to the Vine

Abiding in Christ produces much fruit.

1) Abiding in Christ

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

To abide in Christ is to surrender your will and give Him your entire being: choosing to yield, obey, and receive all that He has for us. It is to become like little children, totally dependent upon Him for sustenance, protection, and guidance. Abiding does not produce immediate maturity nor does it produce immediate fruit. Rather it is the promise of becoming mature and bearing fruit ripe for the harvest.

2) Understanding His Promises

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you (John 15:7).

Through abiding in Him, and His Word having its effect in us, Christ promised that we could ask anything according to His will and it will be done for us. Many take this promise for their own selfish purposes, never committing themselves to the abiding lifestyle. But those who follow its instruction will have what they ask, for they are full of the Word of God and ask in accordance to the Word that abides in them.

Reflection: Learning to trust God when teaching or doing evangelism has been a challenge. If I am self-confident, then I don’t think I need Him. If, however, I feel inadequate, it is easy to worry about doing an inadequate job. I’ve slowly learned that the key is to always be consciously dependent upon Him. This starts when I realize that I cannot do anything good and will remains unless He is in it. I need Him. The sincerity of my prayer is dependent on how much I really believe that I need Him.

3) Chosen for a Purpose

You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you (John 15:16).

The better we understand God’s purpose for us, the easier it is to cross over tough and confusing times. Notice here how God carefully chose us. He didn’t make a bad choice. He chose us because He wanted us to experience His wonderful grace. He also chose to do special and great things through our lives. And although God might do great things through us to show God’s love and power to the world, we are always humbled to remember that Christ the vine is the source of everything good. We are only His vessel (branch).

Application: Pray and thank the Lord for choosing you to carry out His mission. Affirm your willingness for Him to use you.

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