The life and sustenance of any part of a tree is dependent on its attachment to the vine. The vine, through the root, supplies the required nutrients and water for proper growth of the tree. No branch of a tree is capable of independent existence! Likewise, the Christian life begins with God and must remain in God for it to be sustained. “For in Him we live and move and have our being…” (Acts 17:28).
In the book of John 15:1-8, Jesus Christ, the True Vine, gave an analogy of the survival of a tree and its fruitfulness in relation to the Christian life. He detailed the benefits of abiding in Him and these include: fruit-bearing, empowerment to do all things, granting of heart desires, and evidence of discipleship. What does it mean to abide in Him? Abiding in Christ is basically practical and not theoretical. You can abide in Him by regular and constant fellowship with Him via the study of the word and prayers. This gives God great pleasure because He really enjoys fellowshipping with man. “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). He actually created man to have an intimate relationship with him. This explains why God was always coming to relate with Adam in the Garden of Eden, until the fall of man. The disciples were considered as being Christ-like because they stayed long enough with Jesus and were behaving like Him. When you abide in Christ, you are engrafted and you become budded in Him! To abide in Him is to live in obedience to Him (1John 3:24). He demands absolute and not partial obedience from His children. Furthermore, anyone that will abide in God must be ready to accept and endure His chastisement (Hebrews 12:5-11; Proverbs 3:11-12). The Psalmist understood this fact when he said in Psalms 23:4c “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Be willing and ready to stay put whenever He applies His rod of correction on you. Abiding in God is to work with Him by faith and not by sight; and walk with Him in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16).
Beloved, let me ask you some rhetorical questions: are you fruitful? If yes, what kind of fruits do you bear? The desire of the Father is to see us flourishing, prospering and profiting in our Christian life. Therefore, it should also be our desire to remain connected to Him. By this, we shall become fruitful to the Kingdom and the Father is glorified. God bless you richly. SHALOM.
