The Purpose of Abiding
As Americans, we live in a fast-paced culture. We want what we want and we want it now. People don’t like to wait for anything. We have fast-food, instant rice, and microwavable meals. A person can swipe a credit card even if they don’t have money to pay for something. It is easy to get upset when waiting in line too long or when internet speed is too slow. We want the best results with the least amount of work possible. Many Christians today are not living victoriously. They are failing in the most important aspect of their Christian lives – abiding in Christ.
We want convenient Christianity – Christians today don’t want something that is going to cost them time and effort.
Abiding is more than just going to church and hearing a sermon preached once or even several times a week. True abiding means seeking an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Just like any relationship, it takes work. The more intimate the relationship, the more work it requires.
Jesus Christ gave His very life for us. All He asks of most of us is to be fully surrendered to His will and to walk in fellowship with Him.
The Image of the Grapevine
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus often used object lessons to convey certain truths to His disciples. In John 15, we see the image of a grapevine. This illustration was given to His disciples just after leaving the upper room, shortly before He was betrayed and arrested.
The vine here represents Christ, and the branch depicts the believer. It is a picture of the intimate relationship Christ desires with His followers.
Wayne Jacobsen said,
There is no fixed line that says the vine ends here and the branch begins there. That is why Jesus couldn’t have chosen a better illustration of the intimate bond he seeks with his followers. He wants us to identify so closely with him that others cannot tell where he leaves off and where we begin.[1]
The word abide means to stay (in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy). The same Greek word is also translated continue and remain in this passage.
Abiding is a constant state. A branch doesn’t attach itself to the vine for a few minutes in the morning and then go off on its merry way the rest of the day. If a branch is going to bear fruit, it must stay continually connected to the vine. If we are going to produce spiritual fruit in our lives, we must be in constant fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot do what God has called us to do apart from Him.
If you have not already done so, I would encourage you to grab your Bible and read through John 15:1-17.
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Today, we are going to look at the first of four lessons from John 15 that will encourage you as you seek to live a life closely connected to the Vine…
The first lesson we see from John 15 is the
Purpose of Abiding.
Abiding is crucial to experiencing a fruitful and abundant Christian life. We cannot experience the fullness of God’s blessings if we do not walk with Him.
The first purpose of abiding in Christ is to bear fruit.
4 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.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If we are going to bear fruit, we must remain connected to the vine. Just as a branch is useless if it is not connected to the vine, so is a Christian who is not connected to Christ.
John Phillips writes,
The place of the branch is in the vine. It has no life and no fruit of its own. All life and fruit are derived from its organic connection with the vine. The fibers of the vine run from the root to the farthest branch. It is this connection that gives vitality to each branch. Sever a branch from the parent stem and it will die. A vine branch is lifeless, useless, and fruitless unless it abides in the vine remaining vitally attached to the vine. The life-giving sap rises up from the roots and enables the branches to bear green foliage and produce clusters of grapes. Thus the branch is an organic part of the vine, and the vine expresses its life through the branches.[2]
We can do nothing apart from Christ. The Christian who tries to live in their own strength will not produce fruit and will eventually whither up and die spiritually.
The second purpose of abiding Christ is so that our prayers will be answered.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
When we are abiding in close communication with Christ, we can call upon His help in time of need. We do not want to be living a life filled with sin when we have an urgent need. If we are already walking with Him and living in the Spirit, it will be easy to call upon Him. Sin breaks our fellowship with the Lord. It is important to have an open connection with Him at all times.
When Nehemiah was in the presence of Artaxerxes, the king, he needed help from the Lord immediately (Neh. 2). He did not have time to confess his sins and get his heart right before God. He was able to call upon the Lord because of the relationship he had already established.
Conclusion
Every Christian should desire to experience the blessings of living a fruitful life; but we cannot expect to experience the fullness of God’s blessings when we are living a life that is disconnected from the Life-Giving Vine.
May we seek to live each day fully connected to the VINE!
[1] John Phillips, The Gospel of John, p. 286
[2] Wayne Jacobsen. In My Father’s Vineyard, p. 16
Next post in this series: The Pruning Procedures of Abiding
For further reading:
Abide in Christ
By Andrew Murray / Whitaker House
Instead of accepting the invitation to enter God’s throne room, many Christians stand alone outside the door, uncertain and ashamed. Christ beckons them to His banqueting table and offers them a room in His house, but they foolishly give up the glory of the life He has offered. They come to Jesus as Redeemer but never go beyond the doorway to abide in Him and experience the unspeakable joy of dwelling with the King of Kings. Andrew Murray knew what it meant to be continually in the Father’s presence. Read these thirty-one heart-searching readings and learn how to live daily in closer communion and fellowship with Him. Accept God’s invitation and live in His blessing and glory instead of shuffling your feet at the gate.
Amen,We are in the very days of Prunning.