Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
John 15:1-12
The fire brigade’ hose must be connected to the water source for it to help quench any raging fire. Of itself it is useless no matter how long it is. And all the time, it needs to be connected to the water source, to serve any meaningful and effective purpose. It cannot say ‘I was once connected so forever connected’. Though we are connected to Christ by the new birth, yet there is a conscious and intentional connecting that makes us fruitful. This is the main lesson of abiding in the vine.
- Living in dependence on God– the branch is always dependent on the stem for all it needs to bear fruit. The branch cannot derive water and other nutrients on its own, it has to rely on what the stem supplies. So, we also must depend on the riches of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, to live and bear fruits. Fruits of Godliness, fruit of the Spirit, fruits of good works, fruits in ministry etc. We must be in right relationship with Christ for all these to happen. If we are not rightly connected, we are like that fire hose that is not connected to the fire hydrant or the tanker truck.
- Loving and obeying– Abiding in Christ is simply our loving Him by obeying His commandments. To love God is to obey Him. And the one great command is to love one another as He loved us. The life of God is bound in love. It is those who love that live the life of God and reflect His image. Love therefore is what ties us to Christ- he loves us and we also love Him by obeying Him.
Application Questions
- How would you demonstrate your love to Christ today?