I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15.5
Jesus uses visually descriptive language of a vineyard to describe His relationship with all who love and have surrendered their hearts to Him. Jesus says that He is the vine and we are the branches. Branches don’t exist on their own but only when attached to a tree stump. When we are disconnected from Christ, our lives, ministries, or achievements lack meaning.
While Jesus is the vine, God tends the vineyard, and He is looking forward to the harvest of fruits. Branches that use up space and nourishment from the vine but produce no fruit, God cuts down and removes. The aim isn’t having so many leaves on display or merely taking up space, but bearing fruit. Are we content with projecting an outward appearance as Christians, keeping up with several rituals and routines, but our relationship with Christ is non-existent?
The branches that are already bearing fruit are pruned so that they can bear even more fruit. Pruning involves trimming and cutting away dead or overgrown sections of a plant to encourage growth. If we will walk closely with the Lord and bear more fruit, we must allow God remove and cut away certain things and people from our lives that no longer add value or who no longer encourage or enable us to follow him wholeheartedly. We cannot bear more fruit if we hold on to what’s stifling our growth.
There’s no middle ground. Every branch either has no fruit or will bear more fruit. We are living to please the Lord and walking closely with the Lord, or we are retreating, backsliding and enjoying the pleasures of sin. We are passionate about God and His kingdom, or we may have become cold, and lethargic about what’s important to God. What is the state of my relationship with God? Don’t assume that you are a child of God when you are not. Today is a great opportunity to return to the Lord.
Our pastors are not the vinedressers; they will not assess or judge our service to God someday. It’s God who decides what fruit He’s looking for. What a tragedy to spend so much time, effort, and resources but to be disappointed on the last day to discover none of those bore any fruit for the kingdom. Jesus didn’t ask us to abide in church but to abide in him. We may go to church but still enjoy the pleasures of sin, bringing shame and disgrace to the name of Jesus, but when we abide in him, our lives will bring God glory.
There seems to be some progression from having no fruit to bearing fruit and then much fruit. But each stage relies on a continuous decision to abide in Christ. We don’t have to pray to bear much fruit. It results from abiding in Christ. Many people spend so much time praying to be humble, compassionate, or patient, but they need not as the fruit of the Spirit is borne as we spend time with the Lord. It’s not the result of any effort of our own. The longer we linger in God’s presence, the more like Him we will become.
God doesn’t get the glory when we pursue our laudable achievements, when we acquire more possessions, or jostle for more positions or power. When we build a monument for ourselves or draw the attention to ourselves, God isn’t glorified. When the fruit of the Spirit is evident in our lives and we are becoming more like Jesus, that’s what important to God. Am I spending my time, energy and resources living to please the Lord or impressing people who care less about God’s purpose for me?
Jesus placed such a high value on His word. He says that we are clean because of His word in us. It’s not the reading or the listening of the word that counts. Many have read the Bible from cover to cover; they are often excited about hearing more of God’s word. But if God’s word isn’t taking root and bearing fruit, it won’t leave any impact on us. Our decision to abide in Christ includes our commitment to spend time in His word regularly and to allow it change us from the inside out. The state of our lives is often a reflection of the value we’ve placed on God’s word.
When you spend a lot of time with someone, you will discover what they like and what they don’t, what their priorities are and what’s important to them. As we abide in Christ, His will becomes our will, and His desires become our desires. Our prayers align with His will. We will see things from God’s perspective, and our prayers will no longer be our selfish ambitions but partnering with God to see His plans and purpose accomplished on the earth. May the cry of our hearts resonate with the heartbeat of heaven.
Many are in dire search of joy; they have all that this world offers but still have no joy. They confuse happiness with joy. They hope that their trophies and triumphs, mood-altering substances, or the applause of others will satisfy the deepest longings of their hearts. But neither of these temporal or transient pursuits offers lasting joy. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit. Joy comes from God. If we are not connected to God, we can’t experience the joy that God gives.
Jesus says that we will only experience joy when we keep his commandments and abide in His love. If these are the only requirements for a joyful life, why aren’t so many people experiencing joy? When we don’t keep God’s commands, we will be trapped in cycles of sin and ungodliness, which will rob us of the joy that God promises, as sin brings shame and guilt. Guilt and condemnation cannot coexist with joy.
Jesus says that we cannot obey God’s commands if we don’t love Him. More of God’s love in our hearts will result in greater obedience. As we continue to obey Him, we will experience the joy He promises, and our joy will be full. Joy is the internal work of God’s Spirit; we wake up each day and are intentional about pleasing the Lord. There’s no greater joy than being in the centre of God’s will and bringing joy to the Father’s heart.
Many people confuse abiding in Christ with the attendance of several church events. We can go to church but still not become like Christ. The attendance of church events is an external activity, but abiding in Christ is submitting and surrendering to the internal work of God’s Spirit. We can’t claim to abide in Christ but also secretly enjoy the pleasures of sin or bring shame and disgrace to the name of Jesus or be ashamed to share the gospel with others. Lord, keep my heart tender and receptive to the voice of your Spirit. Amen.
In a world that is restless looking for the next goal to accomplish, in desperate need of validation for who we are and what we have or do, insecure and masking our pain and dysfunction with all sorts, abiding in Christ isn’t what many are interested in. Something happens to our priorities, our perspectives, the paths we choose in life, the longer we abide in Christ. Lord, enable me to abide you and you in me. Pour out your Spirit afresh upon me. Change me from the inside out. Make me more like you and fruitful. Amen.
Abiding in the vine will not be a one-off decision, but a continuous, intentional, and consistent decision. This will involve much more than engaging in several spiritual disciplines, but
intentionally walking and talking daily with Jesus,
allowing him to invade our space in order that our wills to be subsumed in His,
a constant surrender to see Him glorified,
hiding behind the cross so that only Christ will be seen,
adjusting and readjusting our schedules to incorporate the delays and detours to see His plan accomplished,
allowing Him to change us into His image, that Christ may be formed in us, that others can testify that we have truly been with Jesus,
learning to follow him and following to learn from Him
not running ahead to pursue our selfish agenda, but sitting still until He tells us to move.
If God is not glorified by my life, this implies I’m not bearing much fruit.
If I’m not bearing much fruit, this implies I’m not abiding in Christ.
If Christ is not abiding in me, this implies His word is also not abiding in my heart.
If God’s word is not abiding in my heart, I might no longer be attached to the vine
Father, minute by minute, take my eyes off all that’s temporal and fading, but keep my heart focused on what will last for eternity. Amen.