John 15 is one such precious gem to me. This section is about
our union with Christ. Is there anything more comforting, beautiful or
satisfying than this? Upon faith in His life, death and resurrection in our
place, we receive the Holy Spirit and are united to Christ. Our fellowship is
not only with church family. Oh no. Our fellowship is with God Himself! John
says in his first epistle “we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have
fellowship with us; and indeed our
fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” We were made
for intimate communion with the God of the Universe.
Let’s look at some of the awesome truths of John 15. Jesus
starts out, ‘I am the true vine, and my
Father is the vinedresser.’ Jesus is the true vine. The Father is the gardener. The Father takes care to see
the health of the branches, and He throws away all dead branches (self-proclaiming
‘Christians’ who do not really treasure Christ…i.e. not born again…dead…) and
prunes those branches that are fruitful.
It is fascinating and comforting to reflect on the Father’s pruning
work. God orchestrates the circumstances of our lives to prune us, shape us,
and make us more fruitful. Whatever you may be going through right now, if you
are in Christ, you can be sure that the Father wants to use those circumstances
to produce the peaceful fruit of righteousness in you (see Hebrews 12:11).
In John 15:5 we read, “I
am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is
that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Jesus is the
vine, the source of life and we are connected to Him and His life-giving power.
We are united to Him. As we abide in Jesus, our life-giving source, we will
bear much fruit --- which is the very purpose for our union with Christ. Apart
from Him we can do NOTHING that will be eternally fruitful.
So, what does it mean to abide in Jesus? It is incredibly
important. Our joy, our fruitfulness, our very life is at stake. So how does
one abide?
Abiding in Christ is all about communion with Christ. To
abide in Him is to remain in relationship with Him. It is to put our faith in Him.
We trust Him and learn to trust Him more each day. When hardships come we do
not become hardened and run from Christ, but we allow the Vinedresser to grow
us closer to Christ.
Abiding in Christ happens through the Word of God and
prayer. I need to be reminded of His words daily, and allow His truth to renew
my mind. I need to be in communion with Him in prayer voicing my love, thanks, anxieties, and struggles. It is all
about a relationship. I also need the body of Christ which spurs me on in my
faith walk.
John 15:9 tells us to ‘abide in [his] love.’ Stay in His
love. Remain in His love. We are prone to wander from this beautiful love when
we forget the gospel. We are prone to wander when we forget the price has been
paid for ALL of our sins. We are prone to wander when we allow guilt, shame and
condemnation to hang over us. My exhortation for you today is to fight the Enemy’s
lies. Remember the gospel. Let it wash over you that you may abide in His love.
Allow the sap of His life giving Spirit
to transform you and you will bear the fruit of His Kingdom: sacrificial love
(John 15:13).
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