“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5 ESV)
There is a deep conviction in my soul on the critical importance of abiding in Christ’s Word and in Christ. Jesus Himself plainly reveals in John 8:31-32 and John 15:4-5 that there is a direct spiritual correlation between our Christian experience and abiding. Because of this truth, I think it is critical for us to understand what it means to abide in Christ and His Word.
The Greek word translated abide is menó. According to Strong’s Concordance, abide means “To remain, to abide, to stay, to continue, to dwell, to endure.” With the two verses I’ve shared in mind, the importance of the Scripture and prayer cannot be overstated. With John 15:4-5 in view, there are so many instructive truths to consider. First, Jesus calls for us to abide in Him and promises that He will abide in us. What a wonderful promise of His presence, His provision, His care, and a life marked by spending time with our Lord!
Tucked in the verse we are reminded of an important truth: Our lives cannot and will not bear fruit unless we are both connected to the vine (i.e., truly born again) and regularly abiding in Christ. Although the fruit that marks the lives of true disciples of Jesus include more than these, we are reminded that the fruit of the Spirit are these: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23). Notice, it isn’t up to us to bring this fruit to fruition, it is a gracious gift of our God as we abide.
I want to stop for a moment and remind you, this isn’t about our work or effort, but about His work in us. No matter how hard I try, I cannot cause the fruit of the Spirit to grow in my life. My life is visibly and undeniably marked by His when I intentionally, consistently, humbly, and faithfully abide. I abide in Christ through spiritual disciplines like prayer, worship, Bible study, fasting, and Biblical meditation. May our prayer be that our lives bring Christ glory in such a way that others make note that we have been with Jesus! (see Acts 4:13)
I’m not a farmer or horticulturalist. In fact, if you want a healthy plant or flower to die, gift it to me. But, you don’t have to be an expert to understand the truth of what Jesus reveals in John 15:4-5: He is the One who gives life. The fruit that we bear is a direct result of His life giving power flowing to us and through us. Any part of me that resembles Christ is wholly a work of His grace. When I abide in Him and because He abides in me, my life bears much fruit that brings God glory.
Lastly in these verses I see the startling Biblical truth: Apart from Jesus, I can do nothing. I might have a life filled with religion, human effort and works, an exhausting schedule, and all types of fleshly works but apart from Christ it is all fruitless, meaningless, and powerless. Jesus isn’t saying I can’t do anything, He is certainly saying I can do nothing of eternal significance or anything please to God. We remember: Without faith it is impossible to please God! (see Hebrews 11:6)
As we wrap up this devotion on abiding, I want to point you back to one other critical verse: So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 ESV) I must abide in the Word of Christ. My entire relationship with Jesus must be based on the unchanging, unfailing, unadulterated, uncompromising Word of God. If I try to have a relationship with God on my own terms, I am not abiding in the God of the Bible, but in a “god” of my own imagination, created in my own image, and a false one who is powerless to save, transform, or help.
Today I pray that each of us would read, understand, believe, and respond in faith to the clear teaching of Scripture. May God give us a hunger and desire to abide in Christ and His Word. May it bring us great joy and satisfaction to know that God invites us to abide in Him and promises to abide in us!
