28 January 2024

ABIDING IN CHRIST FOR FRUITFULNESS

(Going Forward in Christ: GFIC 4)

JOHN Chapter 15 gives the picture of the Christian as a Fruitful Vine. It also pictures Christ as the True Vine and His disciples as the branches. The branch cannot survive and bear fruit without being attached to the vine, for all its nourishment comes from the vine. Similarly, without being united with Christ through faith and close relationship, the Christian branch cannot sustain spiritual life and bear fruit.

The Lord Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I Am the Vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5 – NKJV).  
From the above verses and words of Jesus we learn some important Truths:

1. The Vine gives Life to the Branches.
The Vine supplies food and nutrients to the branches, without which the branches will wither and die. Christ the Vine gives life to all believers. The Bible says: “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). Christ Himself said, “I Am the Life…I have come to give them life and life more abundantly” (John 14:6; 10:10b).

2. The Branch must stay connected to the Vine.
The branch cannot survive by itself much less grow. Without the Vine the branch has no nourishment because all the essential nutrients come through the Vine to give life to the branch. Hence Christ reiterated, “Neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I Am the Vine; you are the branches…for without Me you can do nothing”. The believer, like the branch, must abide or remain in Christ in order to grow spiritually.

3. The Benefit of Abiding in Christ.
Abiding means having an intimate and continuous relationship with Christ in Worship and the Word. It is in this close fellowship with Christ that we find divine strength to live victoriously. The Bible says, “Those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31 -NKJV). The word “renew” in the Hebrew means “exchange”. There is a divine exchange made when we spend time in the Presence of God. He exchanges our weakness for His Strength. In other words, He takes our weakness and replaces it with His Strength! Hence Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me”.

The result of this abiding is fruitfulness: “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit”. Bearing much fruit is proof of true discipleship and glorifies God: “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (15:8).  May we be devoted to Christ and be disciplined in our walk with Him. Amen. 

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