"Abiding in Christ"
How to be Fruitful!
How to be Fruitful!
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, will bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing!” (John 15:5)
Many believers feel that they must strive to do good things for Jesus in their own strength. I often hear pastors and teachers say that we must try harder, be more committed and show more dedication, etc. But the truth is that nothing of any real spiritual value comes from our human nature, no matter how determined we may be.
The apostle Paul said, “I know that nothing good abides in me, that is, in my flesh...” (Romans 7:18). The sooner we learn that we can do nothing in our natural selves that has any lasting value or eternal benefit, the better off we will be.
Two of John the Baptist’s disciples once asked Jesus, “Where are you abiding?” (John 1:38). What they wanted to know was where Jesus was staying, so that they could spend some significant and meaningful time with Him. Spending time with Jesus is essential if we are ever going to bear much fruit.
Today, Jesus permanently abides in (lives in) each and every believer through the indwelling Holy Spirit - the Spirit of Jesus. Our part is to simply stay close to Jesus - to abide in, and with, Him! This involves spending time reading, studying and memorizing God’s Word (the Bible) and maintaining open and honest communication with Him (prayer), as well as walking by faith in light of the truth He reveals to us in His Word. The power and the fruit come only from Him! The fruitful life - the life that bears "much fruit" - is a moment-by-moment walk of faith. It is not about how hard we try, but how much we trust! To be productive fruit bearers we must learn to depend more and more on our Lord Jesus and less and less on ourselves.
“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 without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
Many believers feel that they must strive to do good things for Jesus in their own strength. I often hear pastors and teachers say that we must try harder, be more committed and show more dedication, etc. But the truth is that nothing of any real spiritual value comes from our human nature, no matter how determined we may be.
The apostle Paul said, “I know that nothing good abides in me, that is, in my flesh...” (Romans 7:18). The sooner we learn that we can do nothing in our natural selves that has any lasting value or eternal benefit, the better off we will be.
Two of John the Baptist’s disciples once asked Jesus, “Where are you abiding?” (John 1:38). What they wanted to know was where Jesus was staying, so that they could spend some significant and meaningful time with Him. Spending time with Jesus is essential if we are ever going to bear much fruit.
Today, Jesus permanently abides in (lives in) each and every believer through the indwelling Holy Spirit - the Spirit of Jesus. Our part is to simply stay close to Jesus - to abide in, and with, Him! This involves spending time reading, studying and memorizing God’s Word (the Bible) and maintaining open and honest communication with Him (prayer), as well as walking by faith in light of the truth He reveals to us in His Word. The power and the fruit come only from Him! The fruitful life - the life that bears "much fruit" - is a moment-by-moment walk of faith. It is not about how hard we try, but how much we trust! To be productive fruit bearers we must learn to depend more and more on our Lord Jesus and less and less on ourselves.
“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 without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
