Abiding in Christ
John 15:1-8
This concept of “Abiding in Christ” is one of the most important aspects we can learn. The word itself is a verb. Abiding is therefore an action and means to continue, remain, dwell, live, or to lodge. We can then say that to abide in Christ is to remain and continue in, to live and dwell in Christ.
When Jesus tells us to abide in Him, there’s a very good reason. So let’s take a look at this section of Scripture.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinyedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 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. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My word. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:1-8 NKJV)
Let’s take a moment and look at why abiding is so important.
“He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5b NKJV)
• Here our abiding in Christ directly affects our work and responsibilities
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:6 NKJV)
• Here our abiding in Christ, or lack thereof, directly affects our eternal life
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7 NKJV)
• Here our abiding in Christ directly affects our communication with God
“Whoever abides in Him does not sin.” (1 John 3:6a NKJV)
• Here our abiding in Christ directly affects our walk with God
A proper understanding of what it means to Abide in Christ is therefore critical.
We find that it was such an abiding relationship that Jesus had with the Father, which energized and defined His ministry. When confronting the religious leaders who said He was blaspheming by calling Himself the Son of God, Jesus said,
“If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him” (John 10:37-38 NKJV)
When Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus said,
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works” (John 14:10 NKJV)
Speaking of the coming resurrection of believers, Jesus talks about how vital this connection with His Father is.
I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30 NKJV)
Jesus had an intimate abiding relationship with the Father, and if this relationship was necessary for His ministry, then such an intimate abiding relationship with Jesus is needed if we’re going to live fruitful, effective lives here on earth.
This is actually Jesus’ prayer for us.
“That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21 NKJV)
Going back to our text, Jesus says that just as a branch needs to be vitally connected to the vine, so believers need to be vitally connected to Him. Just as Jesus could do nothing outside the Father’s will, we can doing nothing on our own. We need this vital connection, and then we can say like the Apostle Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV)
Therefore, when we learn how to abide in Christ, He will provide life and strength so that we can live productive and effective lives. But even more, we can experience intimate fellowship with God and become part of His family.
Being members of God’s family we have all the power and privileges that go along with it. Our only problem is that while it’s all ours, we don’t know how to enjoy them, because we haven’t learned how to abide in Christ.
The more we share Christ’s life and let Him share ours, the more we’ll enjoy the full benefits of being branches attached to the vine, that is, members of His body and sharers of His grace. We also tap into His protection, strength, guidance, and companionship.
Abiding in Christ is crucial. In the first two verses of John 15 there are two important aspects about this abiding relationship we need to know.
1. Jesus is the Vine
“I am the true vine” (John 15:1a NKJV)
It was the end of Passover, and from the time they left in Chapter 14 to their passing over the Kidron Valley in Chapter 18, they passed through the Eastern Gate taking them by the Temple. Why this is important is that the gate leading into the Temple was adorned with a golden vine, which was the symbol for the nation of Israel. It was a familiar symbol.
In Psalm 80 it says,
“You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it.” (Psalm 80:8 NKJV)
The Psalmist goes on to say,
“Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, and the branch that You made strong for Yourself” (Psalm 80:14-15).
But the Psalmist said something that is disturbing. He said that this vine is cut down and burned with fire, but why? What Jesus said John 15 has significance in our understanding.
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away … If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:2, 6)
Israel bore no fruit, and a branch that doesn’t bear fruit is cut down, taken out and burned. This was the prophet Hosea’s prophecy concerning Israel.
Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself (Hosea 10:1 KJV)
It’s not that they didn’t bear fruit, but it wasn’t for God, rather it was for themselves. In other words they lived their lives for themselves instead of for God.
The prophet Isaiah talked about Israel being the vine as well, and while God planted it in the choicest place expecting it to bring forth good fruit, instead it produced wild or poisonous fruit. Now listen to God’s judgment
“Let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it” (Isaiah 5:5-6).
Therefore, by Jesus using the symbol for Israel, the vine, and using it of Himself, He was literally transferring the privileges and responsibilities from the nation of Israel to Himself, and then by association, all those that now abide in Him as those branches.
Jesus is saying that in order to have an effective, fruitful, and eternal life, our connectedness is no longer in association with a religion or denomination. It’s no longer in association with the nation of Israel or the outward observance of the Law. Rather, our connectedness with the Father is through Jesus, through belief in Him, being connected with Him, having the law written not upon tablets of stone, but now the fleshly tablets of our heart. In other words it becomes a reality for us, it’s something that alive inside.
2. The Father is the Vinedresser
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1 NKJV)
No longer are the religious leaders in this capacity. No longer are they the caretakers, as Jesus points out, but the Father alone. He and He alone will tend the vineyard, pruning and cleansing the branches to produce true fruitfulness.
Now I’m sure, but if the branches could talk, they’d dread seeing the vinedresser, looking upon him more as Freddie in Friday the 13th, than as a gentle gardener looking out for their best interest.
But that is exactly what the vinedresser is there to do, not to hurt the plant, but to help it grow healthy and produce larger and more beautiful fruit every year.
Now, in verse two we see a two-part process the vinedresser takes to tend the vineyard.
a. Removes Unfruitful Branches
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away (John 15:2a NKJV)
The wording “takes away” brings with it the idea of being removed forcefully.
In caring for fruit bearing plants, it’s important that we remove those branches that do not bear fruit so that they don’t take away vital nutrients.
In Vegas I had a some trees that wouldn’t bear a lot of fruit because growing out of the base of the tree were what were called, “sucker shoots.” These were braches that had no fruit but would literally suck up what the other branches needed.
Our fruitfulness, or lack thereof, is likewise affected by so many other things that suck away our time in God’s word, prayer, and fellowship.
But consider this whole idea another way. Is the fruit of the spirit evident in your life, or are you just sucking up God’s grace and mercy without giving anything back? Are you a sucker shoot, or are you a branch bearing fruit. Are you exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, Galatians 5:22-23a?
b. Prunes Fruitful Branches
And every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit (John 15:2b NKJV)
You may be thinking there isn’t a whole lot of fruit on your branch, the point is, however you have some, and the Father prunes you so that you can produce bigger and better fruit.
Pruning is cutting back the branch so it can consolidate its efforts to produce fruit. To prune means, “to make clean.” And so in pruning us, God forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness, or that which stops us from bearing fruit.
Our abiding in Christ therefore involves our need to be continually cleaned. But even when we fail to allow God to do this cleansing, it doesn’t mean we’ve lost fellowship or are no longer a part of God’s family.
A child who disobeys their parents and runs outside in the rain and gets all muddy doesn’t lose their family membership, but they aren’t immediately invited to the dining room to partake of dinner. Instead they have clean up, take a bath, and put on some new clothes.
This cleansing process, God’s pruning process, however, isn’t easy, and it more often times than not hurts. To prune us the Father allows trials and tribulations to come into our lives in order to cleanse us so that we will come out stronger and bear greater fruit in the end.
And so when these trials and tribulations come upon us, it may be God’s pruning process. And as the Apostle Peter tells us, we oughtn’t look upon these times as something strange happening to us, 1 Peter 4:12.
The writer of Hebrews said,
“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11 NKJV)
We shouldn’t look upon our suffering as evidence that God doesn’t love us, but quite the opposite, that God does love us and that we are indeed part of His family, because the writer of Hebrews says the Lord disciplines those He loves, Hebrews 12:6.
The question, however, is how do to maintain this relationship. I think the key to an abiding relationship with Jesus is found in verse three.
“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3 NKJV)
Jesus is saying that an integral part of God’s pruning process is done through the word. God is pruning us, making us clean through His word.
This idea of them already being clean is used earlier when Jesus washed their feet. Jesus said they were already clean, but only their feet needed washing because of the dust and dirt of the roads they were traveling.
Paul said that Christ makes us holy through the washing of the water of His word, Ephesians 5:26-27. It is through His word that we’ll continue to be pruned and progress spiritually as we’re attached to Jesus as those branches are attached to the vine.
This is the key to having that abiding relationship. It’s only when we keep, or better yet, obey God’s commandments that we can remain in His love. It’s keeping God’s commandments that keep us close to Him.
Jesus goes on to say,
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:10 NKJV)
A little boy was furiously riding his tricycle around the block over and over again. See this a policeman stopped the boy and asked why he kept going around the block. The boy said he was running away from home and the reason he kept going around the block is because he was told never to cross the street.
Even when we may feel like running, if we remain obedient to God’s word we’ll never stray far, and we’ll keep coming around to God who loves us.
But there’s a kind of obedience that actually makes God weep, but not in a good sense. It’s when people keep God’s word reluctantly out of some legal obligation. It’s cold and unfeeling. It’s obedience due to fear of the consequences.
The type of obedience that pleases God, however, and helps maintain this abiding relationship is from a desire to please God. It’s obedience from a cheerful and joyous heart.
The problem is that no one can perfectly keep the commandments. And Jesus knew this. So He reduces the commandments down to one, and it’s the commandment to love. It’s from this one commandment that all the others commandments stem.
Jesus said,
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
It’s when we love God and others that we will be able to keep all the commandments and maintain this abiding relationship.
And so the key to abiding in Christ is that out of our love for Him we obey His word, and when we do, we’ll become fruitful and live fruitful, effective lives. And then as an added bonus, we’ll experience the love and joy that only an intimate abiding relationship with Christ can provide.
