ABIDE IN ME AND I IN YOU
YOU SHALL BEAR MORE FRUIT IF YOU REMAIN IN ME AND I IN YOU
Greetings to the Parishioners of Steemchurch, to @Sirknight the founder and to her hardworking Apostles. May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied unto you all.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 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. 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.
(John 15:1, 4-5)
The Scripture describes us as the branches (whose duty is to receive nutrients and bear fruits). The kind of fruits we bear defines the kind of Christians (or the type of people) we are. The fruits showcases the way we live our lives. Little wonder the Scripture says that by their fruits, you shall know them.
John 15:4 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.
The kind of fruit this text is talking about is a fruit that is contingent on abiding in Him. This kind of fruit can only be produced when we are connected to the real source which is God Himself. It's just like the moon which aligns to the sun to radiate the light that the sun produces. We too can bring forth this fruit, this light if we properly align ourselves.
CONTRAST: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ABIDE WITH HIM AND WHEN NOT
John 15:7-9 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
When we abide in Him, He too abides in us and then we can bear forth more fruits. When we bear fruits, we are pruned to bear forth more and more. As we are pruned and purged to bear forth more and more, the Father is glorified. As the Father is glorified, the foundation of our discipleship becomes solidified and much more fruitful.
Finally, when we ask anything, it shall be done unto us. It is in this that we grow in the Father's love.
On the contrary, verse 6 tells us that If a man abide not in God, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. Such branch is considered a liability and will be taken away.
WAYS IN WHICH WE COULD RESPOND TO THIS CALL OF ABIDING WITH HIM
John 3:16 describes Him as the way, truth and life. Therefore, to abide in Him demands that we walk in the "truth", that is, Jesus Himself.
To remain with Him is to live a life of submission to His will. It is to say like Paul, "it's no longer I who lives, but Christ that lives in me, because this life I live, I live by Faith in Christ who died for me". For Paul, he emptied himself for God because God was his priority; the essence of his being.
It was for this reason that he lived by FAITH in Christ who first offered His life. Hence, faith becomes a necessary tool.
In the absence of faith, we cannot please God. Faith births Miracles, it changes everything and causes that mountain to move. The manifestation of the supernatural is fully contingent on the substance of faith. It's absence is the beginning of unproductivity.
Our relationship with God is strengthened by Faith. The Scripture says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. It is this Word of God which is life and light itself that solidifies our fellowship with God.
The central message of Jesus is that of Love.
1 John 4:8 says that
"whosoever does not love God does not know God, for GOD IS LOVE". Therefore, to abide in Him, we must first allow ourselves to be consumed by and in love, love that is of God.
The Scripture says that whosoever loves me shall keep my commandment and this commandment is a commandment of love. This is only possible when we walk by the Spirit. Hence, to be Spirit-filled becomes a sine qua non.
In summary, we must learn to abide in God through His Word, for we are called to live a life of the Spirit as Christians who we are, manifesting as Sons and daughters of the Kingdom.
Our relationship with God is strengthened by Faith.
The Scripture says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
It is this Word of God which is life and light itself that solidifies our fellowship with God.
Great post
Resteemed
STEEMCHURCHWhen we abide in Him, He too abides in us and then we can bear forth more fruits.
When we bear fruits, we are pruned to bear forth more and more
Nice article
Warm regards
OSFor the great thing he made is always perfect and fits we all that trust in him
His blood has given us joy and salvation for only those who truelly believe that he died for them.
His name name is wonderful he is the name which when called all knees shall always bow.
We cannot do anything without God, He is the sustainer of our lives according the Scripture you quoted in John 15. Many believers in the church today are spritually dead because they have disconnected from their source and where they receive nourishment, the same cannot happen to us, we should abide in God as we love one another, stay prayerful, studying the word and doing the will of God. I really love the message at John 15, thanks for sharing with us
Being a branch entails being in and emanating from Him. As a branch, we cannot and should not produce fruit that is different from the fruits of the spirit.
Abiding in the vine means receiving and believing and trusting in the words of Jesus. It means receiving the love of Jesus for the Father and for his people and the joy that Jesus has in the Father and in us. It means sharing the joy, the love, the words with Jesus
(Galatians 3:2; 5:22–23). This is very similar to Paul in Galatians 3 and 5 saying the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy as we hear and trust the promises of Christ
Its true, when we abide in Him, He too abides in us and then we can bear forth more fruits
No matter how strong we thought we are,without God,we cannot do anything.
We need to keep a cordial relationship with God in order to have the whole of Him.
Thanks for sharing this
The moment the fruit have a thought that it can sustain alone without the backup of the root,the same moment the fruit will start losing it value.
We were created by God and our sustainace depends on Him.
Without God we can do nothing.
We need to walk with Him in obedience in order to keep refreshing even when faced with storm of life.
When we accept God, we are born In New ways, we are lifted because we are like new born.
Thanks for sharing, God bless you.