John 15:5 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.
In this beautiful metaphor of the vine (Jesus) and the branches (we who follow Him), Jesus makes it clear that there MUST be a strong connection between us and Him. The metaphor drives this truth home. If a branch gets cut off from the vine, will it thrive? Will it bear a lot of healthy, juicy fruit? Hardly. When a branch breaks off from the vine, it becomes good for the fire and that's about it!
And so it is with us and Jesus. We can try all we want to live for him ... to serve him ... to impact our world for him. But if we are not abiding in him, we can do NO-THING!
So ... how does one "abide in Him?" In verse ten of this passage, Jesus gives us a key to abiding in him ... and that is obedience (John 15:10). And to obey him we must be in his word (so we get to know his commandments) and leaning upon his Spirit (prayerfully seeking God's grace and help as we seek to obey his commandments). SO it all comes down to living in a daily conscious relationship with Jesus, trusting him enough to obey him ... and finding the joy that only comes when we do just that! Only then will we be able to bear much fruit and make our lives count for Him!
Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj
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