The Vine and the Branch - Lesson #4

 

Lesson #4  Abiding In The Vine

John 15:4,5 "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".

After discipline to remove sin and pruning to change priorities, Jesus tells what is to happen next.  “Abide in Me!” He says. He is not saying to do MORE for Him, but what He is saying is to be MORE with Him. In Abiding we must act.

Abiding is about the most important relationship of your life. Abiding doesn't measure how much you know about your faith or the Bible. In abiding you seek, long for, thirst for, wait for, see, know, love, hear and respond to...God.  Living in His Presence.

Psalm 42:1 "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God".

Our need for this is deep and constant, so why do very few pursue it? I'm convinced that the reason is, many of us do not believe that God actually likes us. We assume He's impatient, busy with more important things and reluctant to spend time with us, when actually, if we would just take the time, He would meet us in a way we'd never known. It would be as if a great Presence would walk into the room and sit down close as we draw near to Him. I'm not talking about daily devotional time but I'm talking about a DEVOTED time – a time where we devote entirely to Him. He desires that time with us and wants us to continue always in His love.

John 15:9 "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love."

We have a difficult time believing because we doubt His love for us. But once we realize how much He truly does love us and wants to spend time with us, this is when it's time for the most important step in our life and that is to practice ABIDING IN HIM!

Did you notice that the life force in the picture Jesus presented of the vine and branch connection is the SAP which is mysteriously out of site? One reason could be that in abiding, what happens on the surface doesn't count; what's happening inside does. Abiding begins with visible spiritual disciplines such as Bible reading and prayer. Yet it may shock you to find out that we can do these things for years without abiding. After all, reading a book about a person isn't the same thing as really knowing the person who wrote the book. The challenge in abiding is always to break through from dutiful activities to a living, flourishing relationship with The Writer - God.  Deepen your quality of DEVOTED time with God.

We are always trying to find the quickest and surest way to accomplish things. We read how-to-books or look for “easy steps to succeed”. Christians even seek simple formulas to guarantee success in walking with God. We wish someone would come up with a surefire method for avoiding sin and accelerating growth as God's children, but...

It's A Relationship

Jesus viewed the Christian life as a relationship, not a math problem. He knew we would hope for a few easy steps to follow. But instead of a method, Jesus answered with a beautiful word-picture in John 15.

To explain how to walk as His disciples, Jesus chose the metaphor of a fruit bearing vine. He is the vine; we are the branches; and the Father is the Vinedresser. Like members of one organism, we are connected in an intimate relationship with our Lord. If this connection is severed, our lives will be empty and unfruitful. Jesus is our sole source of life (vs 4-5). Just as a branch finds its home in the vine, we must abide in Jesus Christ, finding our home in Him. The secret to the Christ life is not following a set of rules, but maintaining an essential relationship with the Ruler.

It's An Adventure

Christians who abide in Christ march to the best of God's Spirit. We follow His lead. The Holy Spirit serves as our spiritual compass, guiding and empowering us to overcome any challenge along our journey as we remain in Him.

Abiding means obeying. Jesus explains that His words actually cleanse us. And if Christ's words remain in us, our prayers will be heard and answered by the Father. (vs. 3,7) God's Word is the Christian's source of life.

Abiding is loving. Jesus urges us to remain in His love and commands us to love each other with the same selfless love He has shown us. (vs 9-10,12) Those who are connected to Jesus will love as He did.

Remember: The fruit that we produce by staying connected to Jesus is an effect, not a cause of a healthy relationship with God. So...stay connected, for without Him, you can do nothing.

I do have one final lesson coming....so stay tuned....but more importantly....keep Abiding in Him. Amen?

Connie Schmoll