Abide in Christ

John 15:4-6

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 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. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

Notes

The Lord Jesus explained that He was the true vine, His Father was the vinedresser, and the disciples were the branches. This illustration shows the vital union of Christ and His disciples, where the disciples would not be able to bear fruit without Him. Moreover, the Lord explained the Father’s role as the one who prunes the branches, which is cleaning them, so the branches can bear more fruit. The Lord would repeat the lessons, showing their importance.

1. Abide

   The Lord Jesus commands the disciples to abide in Him because if they do not, they cannot bear fruit. The believer must continuously depend on Christ. The word abide (µένω, menō) means to remain or to dwell.

   
   4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me (John 15:4).

   Application: We must evaluate ourselves in a deeply reflective manner. Are we remaining in Him through His word and prayer? Let us remember that fruitfulness is dependent on our union with Christ.

   
   

2. Fruitfulness

   The Lord repeated His claim that He was the vine and the disciples were the branches. Abiding in Christ and Him in them would yield much fruit. What is the fruit? The answer must be found in the context. It is about loving Him, Obeying Him, and Joy in Him (John 15:9-11).

   
   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 (John 15:5).

   Application: We must bear much fruit, which is loving Him, obeying Him, and receiving Joy in Him. However, let us remember that yielding fruit, or even much fruit, is merely a result of the nutrients that the branch receives from the vine. Therefore, our focus should be on remaining in His word, for it is His word that cleanses us (prunes).
   

3. Consequence

   The consequence of not abiding by the true vine is judgment. The Lord’s statement reflects the final judgment where those who are not in Christ are condemned and thrown into the lake of fire.

   
   6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned (John 15:6).

   Application: Let us take heed of the warning of not abiding in Christ. The consequence is withering away and judgment. By His grace, we should value our union with Christ because it yields much fruit.

Reflection & Discussion

1. In what way can genuine disciples abide in the vine?

2. How can we bear much fruit?

3. What happens to those who do not abide?