And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. Daily guided meditations are available in lengths of 2, 5, 10 and. The purpose of the vine is to produce fruit and the intent of the caretaker is to help the vine accomplish that goal. That is the result of living in Jesus Christ. Abiding in Christ identifies us with Him before the world. What motivation for service! This passage was intended to bring peace, assurance and comfort to troubled men (cf. If they detach from him, the source of life, they will not produce fruit. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. That is the fruit talked about throughout the scriptures. Obedience demonstrates the _____________ of your relationship with the Lord do you love Him? Verse 16 makes it crystal clear that our abiding in Christ is not the determining factor behind our eternal security as believers. Their own deeds will condemn them for even their attempts at righteous deeds are as a filthy garment before our holy God (Isaiah 64:6). Seriously, abide is found in the Bible over 100 times. What fruit does God want you to bear? The Lord once ministered in His earthly body, but now ministers and reveals His life in His spiritual body. But all those things are without value if you do not abide Christ. All meditations are based off Biblical scriptures. Elizabeth Woodson guides readers through rich theological truths from Genesis to Revelation and shows us how we are part of God's great work today. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. . The vine supplies life-giving nourishment to the branches. Nebuchadnezzar had both of these as the king of Babylon, but God struck him because of his pride and he became like an animal that lived in the fields. What was the result? For example: 1 John 2:6, the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. 1 John 2:24, As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. I do not believe that Jesus is here teaching that we can lose our salvation by failing to abide. I opened his Be Transformed and read this: "To 'abide' means to keep in fellowship with Christ so that His life can work in us and through us to produce fruit.". This word true is also used of that which is the ultimate realization, or here, of that which is the heavenly reality which transcends any earthly counterpart. 14:17), Religious rituals, moral codes, practices and doctrine are ______________if you do not abide in Christ, Those without a redeemed relationship with God in the here and now have no basis for one in ___________, Those not abiding in Christ will lack the _____of righteousness and may show the fruit of sin (Gal. Abiding isnt a feeling or even a belief. What does God want from you? Actually, its the ONLY way. 16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. One result of our obedience to our Lords command is joy. John 3:6-9 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. We would love to introduce you to Jesus Christ personally, or if you are already a believer, we count it a privilege to encourage you in your walk with Him. We are the instruments of fruit-bearing. Which do you think is more dangerous? ( Galatians 2:20, Colossians 2:6, Romans 8:1, Hebrews 3:6 ) Jesus continues His discourse in John 15:1 saying, I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Before I continue any further, I need to explain something about the cultural context of this statement so that you will understand its significance. John 13:10), To abide in Christ, you must first be _______by Him Rom. Obedience brings joy into our Christian experience as it did for our Lord: Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). What Does Colossians 2:6-7 Teach Us about Our Faith Walk? But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. You begin with a flurry of enthusiasm and excitement, but sooner or later it comes down to just plain endurance just sticking it out.. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. If you never spend any time with him that connection will fall apart. To abide is to continue, to stay, to remain. The definition of abide is to remain, reside, or await for. THINK ABOUT IT! Abiding in Christ means that we stay connected with God. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. The Warning to Those Who Do Not Abide John 15:6, If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.. Its the only way to find the abundant life that Jesus promised us in John 10:10. Not wishing to leave the imperative to abide in His love in abstract terms, Jesus gives a very specific and practical example of the commandments of which He speaks. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. We should be seeking His fellowship, and leaving the fruit to Him. In Isaiah 5 the nation Israel is likened to a vineyard that does not produce fruit. Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. We often do not understand why things happen, but we can be sure that our heavenly Father loves us, for He already proved it in Jesus Christ on Calvary, and therefore even in the difficult things of life, we can be confident that He is doing something good in us and through us for His own glory and our good. If the answer to this question is yes, then the crux of the matter falls upon the Greek word (airo), takes away (NASV). The triumphal entry (John 12) seemed to elevate their expectations and excitement. There is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1) because they are washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11) by faith in Him (Romans 3:26, 28). What is necessary in order for you to bear fruit? We can have fruit and then much fruit. Just a like a vine that decides to disconnect from its source of life, a follower of Jesus who disconnects from God will stop producing fruit in their life. John 15:9-10, Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Such is not the case as we shall see as we go through the rest of the passage. Three Ways to "Abide in Me" The first key to abiding in Christ is receiving and believing Him. If a branch becomes detached it will wither and die. Prayer is about God changing us so that we desire what He wants. Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. He uses it 34 times in the Gospel, and 19 times in his letters. How To Abide in Christ In verse 6 we are given a negative illustration of the results if we do not abide. He is the true vine, believers are the branches, and the Father is the vine-keeper. The one in whom the Word abides can be confident of receiving the answers to his prayers for he will pray according to the will of God. The word clean in verse 3 is the same expression used earlier by our Lord of saving faith. As we live in close relationship to Christ there is a change in our character as we are transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2) and become conformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29) which would include our actions and attitudes. He was a branch that was in Christ, but who bore no fruit. Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abide th not the fire ye shall make go through the water. 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.. "Abide in Me, and I in you. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Recall that back in John 13:10, before Judas had left, Jesus had said that you are clean, but not all of you. Judas was now gone and the remaining disciples were clean because they believed what Jesus had proclaimed about Himself including that He was from the Father and that those who believed in Him would not come into condemnation, but were passed from death into eternal life (John 3:16; 5:24). How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.. A large gold grapevine was used to decorate the gates of the temple constructed by Herod. Do you struggle with hidden unrighteousness? If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. God chose us as the objects of His grace. Do We See Any Gospel Connections in the Book of Numbers? That may seem severe, but understand that true Christianity is about a relationship with the Creator. 4 And let endurance have [its] perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4). That wont be necessary, she responded, unimpressed, just pick up that towel and help me with these dishes. Few of us will be required to pay the ultimate price of friendship. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. Abiding in Christ implies dependence on him. In 1 Corinthians 16:6 some mss. But Jesus makes clear that it a In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was often likened to a vine. I first cut out all the branches that did not bear fruit. In addition, the idea of remaining or enduring is implied by the word abide. Our rituals, moral codes, practices and doctrine are simply the expressions of our personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Throughout the upper room discourse, the disciples found our Lords words to be abstract and confusing (John 13:22ff. Whatever wealth you may gather to yourself by whatever means you use, does not really belong to you. Father. The emphasis in verses 9-25 is on obedience. However, the concept of abiding is found throughout the Bible. This connection is often referred to as a union with Christ. The qualification for being able to abide in Christ is being cleansed by Him first. Abiding is our obligation; fruitfulness is Gods concern. When will you do it? Unless you are both clean because of being regenerated and washed by the Holy Spirit and abiding in Him, you will not experience His blessings or fruit in your lives. God graciously gives them lifes energy, but they produce something else. As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. Those that are clean are to abide in Christ and thus experience His blessings. Colossians 1:17 declares that Jesus Christ is Before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Hebrews 1:3 adds that Jesus, upholds all things by the word of His power. If Christ just let go for a moment, then all things would fall apart and be destroyed. Apart from the vine the branch will not be able to produce fruit and will eventually die. 1 Corinthians 11:30). They are no different from those in the world who seek their purpose in life from things such as wealth, fame, power, comfort, or pleasure. and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 27-28. Active. We simply wear ourselves down for no good reason. Why can a person who abides in Christ be confident in prayer? Failing to abide is more than just a hindrance to fruitfulness; it is a severing from the source of life. The same is true in our relationship with God. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. What condition must be met first in order to abide in Jesus? "His bow abide (remained) in strength" (Genesis 49:24); "There he abide" (dwelt) (John 10:40). John 15. To learn more about the John 15:4 meaning check out this incredible resource: Dr Tom Constables Bible Notes On John 15, The temptation for most of us is to go at life solo. It was out of His love. An unpruned grape vine can get very large, but it actually produces less fruit than a smaller vine that is properly pruned. 2. Rosscup, pp. They are useless and so are cut out and discarded. Abiding in him allows us to pray with great boldness and to experience answers to our prayers. They would eventually go to the Father through Jesus. Jesus statement that apart from Me you can do nothing is a true statement in all respects, but the context here is in not being able to bear fruit apart from Christ. The grapes themselves were costly jewels. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25), Highlights in the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ. The reason is simply that such a person desires the will of Christ over their own. Salem Media Group. Apart from it, the branches have neither life nor fruit. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love (John 15:9). It only demonstrates the reality of your relationship with Him that you have responded to His love so that you love Him and abide in Christs love. People can appear pretty good by the standards of whatever society they are in and still be very ungodly. You are actually only a steward of it and will give an account of it when you stand before God in judgment. The Father enables to Son to accomplish all things. Ultimately, we did not choose God; He chose us. They are meeting the conditions of 1 John 5:14-15, And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. The apostle James counseled, 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Its through this dependance that we are sustained. What a comfort! Jesus explains the role of the caretaker of the vines in verse 2. Second, we must remember the words of Jesus in verse 16: You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give you.. Abide in Me, and I in you. But we often gloss over it because the word abide is a little bit old-fashioned. This word true is used primarily in two senses in the New Testament. God never requires us to do that which is without good reason. I will NEVER pay for these again. They are gathered up and discarded, or as stated in our text, cast into the fire. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' But sooner or later we come to the realization that marriage is not only enjoying, but enduring. Jesus tells us He is "the way and the truth and the life" and says no one comes to the Father except. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. They, too, would soon experience the hostility of an unbelieving nation (verses 18-25). If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. Positively, it occurs in this sense of belief in chapter six: He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him (John 6:56). The necessity of abiding is further demonstrated in verses 6-8. Tools. Dont leave this morning without getting the help you need. True Christianity has all those things, but all of them are in keeping with a relationship with God. All that you have and everything you accomplish in life is only by His goodness and mercy to you. The Lord your God will make you prosper abundantly in all the work of your hands with children, the offspring of your livestock, and your land's produce. Jesus repeats the phrase twice. and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. The Apostle John uses the word over 30 times alone which seems appropriate as he was one of the inner circle during Jesus' earthly life. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. Pruning the vines is not only common practice, but necessary practice in order to have a decent grape crop. It was Jesus desire to glorify the Father (John 14:13), and the Father enabled Him to preach, teach and perform many miracles for that purpose (John 14:10). Those claiming to love Jesus yet refusing to obey Him only prove they are liars. Hebrews 12:11 states, All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. God wants us to bear fruit in our lives, so He prunes us that we might be more dependent on the vine and produce more fruit instead of extraneous leaves and branches. In Philippians 1:25, the Apostle uses both the simple verb meno and the compound parameno (some mss. Jesus makes this distinction in verse 3. One practical reason for the command to love one another is that if we do not love other Christians, no one will, for the world will hate us because of Christ (verses 18ff.). For the first few weeks or months, marriage is able to function on the fuel of romantic feelings. The 8-week Bible study From Beginning to Forever reveals the entirety of Scripture as God's big story and His work to redeem and restore the entire world. Our doctrinal statement is our attestation of Gods revelation of Himself to us. Those who think they can accomplish something apart from God are actually very foolish. New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and abide in His love. See CONTINUE. 1. The definition of abide is to remain, reside, or await for. in 1971. This is another well known but often misunderstood section of Scripture largely due to interpretations that take the passage out of its context. Jesus warns those who are not in verse 6. Think back to the illustration of John 15 of the branches and the vine. Abiding stresses the source of our life and strength, but we frequently ignore the person of Christ to seek the product of our union with Him. I liked that. Believers are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The summation of this chapter can be expressed in two statements: (1) Abide in meexperience that love (verses 1-8); and (2) Express that love (verses 9-17). All of us should be willing to do so and to show it in simple acts of sacrificial kindness. We have the cart before the horse. This is a corollary to John 14:21, 23 which we discussed last week. Abide in Me, and I in you (John 15:4a). Children are given to men in their sleep, without striving. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. The teaching of abide in the Bible is one that we shouldnt ignore. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. So, what does it mean to abide in Christ? Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. The fruit of unrighteousness is not always outwardly obvious. I do not mean that marriage is a drag to be endured with gritted teeth, but that it is not one continual high, perpetually warm fuzzy feeling. Our burdens are light and we can find rest. abide by. Prejudice and racism are often obvious in their display, but both also conceal themselves in the political correctness of what is euphemistically called social justice but which is Biblically unjust as it gives excuses for jealousy, envy, malice, bitterness and unforgiveness. It is a belief and a relation with the person of Jesus Christ and His Word (John 15:7). Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Jesus and the disciples are in an upper room in Jerusalem where they have just celebrated the Passover meal. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. Since our Lords ascension into heaven, the church has been the body of Christ. Similarly, we are to rely on God. An itinerant rabbi, Jesus was constantly on the move. Husband. Because the world hated Him without a cause (verse 25), they will also hate us (verse 18). Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. April 21, 2023. It is a dependence upon His provision of life and strength that is emphasized in John 15:4. What does it mean to abide? Set time every day to pray. This should come as no shock, for Christs rejection had been prophesied centuries before (verse 25). Proud member John 15:4-5, 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. Lest we also fall into that same trap, let me quickly remind you of the context. (2) The Lord bursts the bubble of the disciples messianic expectations in these verses. The word meno means to dwell at ones' own house, to stay as a guest in someone's home, to abide or to sustain unbroken fellowship with someone. Writer. 2 : to accept without objection . Its an action, its what we do. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affliliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links. Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life, is also the only way to the Father. Negatively, it is impossible to bear fruit without abiding. He has revealed that one of them would betray Him and has indicated to John that the betrayer would be Judas Iscariot. We must stay connected to him. Yet another dimension of abiding in Christ is introduced at verse 9, for we find another imperative. The intimacy of friendship includes us in the inner circle of God, and here our Lord makes known His secrets. The Tucson Democrat was caught in the act on April 10, the third time the Bibles disappeared. In this passage Jesus gives an illustration of a vine and branches. Those that do love Jesus demonstrate that love by keeping His commandments, and obeying Jesus demonstrates abiding in Him and His love. What will you do about it? It is not a moral code. He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you (John 13:10). The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. This simply means that we go on trusting, that we keep on depending, that we never stop believing. And its a lesson we shouldt ignore. To not abide is to face the inevitable consequence which is death and judgment. We shall not explore this final portion in great detail, but will make several observations. Our Lord described the new relationship between Himself and His followers in terms of a vine and its branches in the first three verses.
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