By Shirley Rosemarie Evans, Christopher Dryden, and Chalcedony Williams
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.
Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
John 15:5-8 NLT
Where do you live?
In Scotland, the question is phrased, “Where do you stay?” This question is an active enquiry about where you belong. It’s not just asking for a house or an address. It’s exploring your identity. Similarly, when Jesus invites us to abide in Him, it changes our answer to the question of where we live. We live in Christ. Life only has meaning as we’re residing and abiding in Him.
Abide – it’s all about where we remain; where we’re present; where we are held and kept. It addresses our posture and place. Like a child that wishes to be held; just as the baby reaches out to be held by the parent. This is an intentional attitude. I will remain in this posture or position. It’s not about what we do on our own, it’s about what we can do as we remain connected to the one who gives us life, strength and meaning.
This is not something optional for the believer. When we choose to follow Jesus, we opt into an arrangement of residence. We reside in Him and He resides in us. Jesus’ outline of this kind of life even goes to state that anything other than abiding in Him renders us useless other than for burning and discarding.
Living this kind of life is an ongoing constant interaction. It’s dynamic. It’s something that leads to producing fruit, much fruit and much more fruit. As Jesus talks about this kind of fruitful life we are reminded of Psalm 1 which refers to the one who devotes themselves to meditating on God’s law as someone who will be producing. And as the Psalmist acknowledges seasons, so Jesus says that even if we’re fruitful we can still expect seasons of pruning to enable even more fruit.
This is the abiding in Christ kind of life. One that places a reasonable expectation that those connected should produce and as they produce be suitably refined to produce more. It’s the kind of life that does not merely ask what God can do for me but acknowledges the desire to be able to produce for Him, by Him and through Him for His glory. Producing the good works that we were created for according to Ephesians 2:12.
All this is based on finding our location – our place of abode – in Christ. He is our central location, in a world that would rather we were rooted in geographical location or the various identities that clamour for priority and acclaim. Absorbing the truth of abiding in Christ leaves us focused and sourced on only pleasing where we come from - where we stay.
Why this is so vital in defining what life is to those in Christ, is because of the result. Our abiding and fruit-producing brings great glory to the Father. The Father of Life is on display as we make it our desire to retain the posture of living in the Son and receiving Him and His Word that produces fruit in us.
Ask: What is the significance of Jesus using the vine and branches picture?
Seek: Where do you stay? How fruitful are you now?
Knock: Listen to this song and be reminded of the call to abide in Christ. Identify three ways in which Jesus is preparing you to bear much fruit.
(Upper Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash)
(Inner Photo by Amer Mughawish on Unsplash)
