Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 17-19; John 15
“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 15:5 (KJV)
Jesus makes it clear in this verse that we must remain in him, connected to Him in truth and in deeds. Jesus says he is the vine and we are the branches. The branches do not support the vine; they do not provide the nutrients for the plant. In fact, they receive nourishment from the vine (main plant). The branches have the leaves, and are the parts that actually bear the fruit. But the point is, if those branches are not connected to the vine, they are simply going to die. There will be no life to produce leaves, neither will there be fruit on the branches, and eventually, the branches will wither away.
The truth is that Jesus is never going to abandon us, He is never going to pull out from us, and He is never going to leave us nor forsake us. Except we want to abandon Jesus. It might not be so much of a conscious decision, most times people probably don’t wake up one morning and say, today is the day I desert Jesus. But it happens slowly, over time, as they gradually make little decisions that put space between them and Jesus. These decisions might seem insignificant at first. And people honestly think this is not going to have an effect on my relationship with Christ. It is such a little thing. But later come to the realization that they have moves so far away from God.
When Jesus Christ, the Son of God walked the earth, He demonstrated this truth of abiding in God, for He lived His entire life in utter dependence upon the Father. I can do nothing of Myself, He said, I speak only that which I have seen from my Father. “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” John 5:30 (KJV). Jesus lived as God intended man to live – in utter dependence upon God.
Christ walked in spirit and truth and always said and did those things that He heard from the Father. He demonstrated how man should live on this earth. He lived His life so that the life of God could be lived through the Son. Although Jesus Christ was fully God, He drew all His strength from His Father in heaven, demonstrating how you and I should live our lives as children of God – drawing all our strength from our Lord Jesus Christ, for without Him we can do nothing. We are to walk in spirit and truth and to do only those things that we hear from God through His word Jesus Christ, so that His life may be lived in us and through us. For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. – Acts 17:28 (KJV)
Until we humbly confess Christ and believe that of ourselves we can do nothing, we will foolishly and unsuccessfully attempt to produce good fruit in our own strength. For by strength shall no man prevail, except with the help of the Lord. We need to meditate on this vital principle – that JESUS is the vine and we are the branches. We are to abide in HIM and allow HIS Spirit to live HIS life through us; just as He abode in the Father and did only those things He heard from the Father – for apart from Him, we can do nothing.
Prayer: Father, help me to abide in you so I can bear much fruit.
Pastor Alfred Samuel