Abiding In Christ
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:1-7, NIV
Jesus wants us to know that He is the Vine and the Root. When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we leave the life of sin and are engrafted into life with Christ. Just like a branch of a tree can be removed from one tree and engrafted into another tree, so too are we engrafted into a new tree. Our old roots (sins) are no longer part of who we are because we take on all of who Jesus is. The way we stay engrafted into the righteous life with Christ is through abiding with Him - through worship, learning, and serving our Lord and Savior.
In Sacramento, we can have heavy storms. One year the storm winds were so high that a big branch fell from a tree near our home. I wanted to know how such a large branch could fall off a tree like that. A few days later I took a walk past the tree and I could see a fungus that was in the middle where the branch had fallen off.
I asked God what would cause a fungus in our relationship with Him. I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Every time you say what I am not, you are creating a fungus of disbelief and eventually the branch falls off.” Let me explain: when we speak words over our life that are not in agreement with the Word, Jesus cannot nourish us because those words are not of Him. A tree is nourished from its roots. Our roots are in Jesus Christ and if we are not speaking what He says in His Word, He cannot nourish us. We create a fungus, eventually the branch dies. This is an incredible reminder of why it is so important to pay attention to what we speak. Scripture says life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). This takes us back to the most important part of our relationship with Christ…abiding in Him!
“If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned” (John 15:6).
Father, we thank you that we have the opportunity to have a personal relationship with you and the freedom to worship you, learn from you, and to serve you. As we spend time abiding in you, we are nourished and bear much fruit for your glory. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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