To abide, is a word that you don’t often hear outside of a Christian context. It can mean to live in a certain place, such as “I abide in a small village”, or to rest and remain somewhere. Sometimes you hear the phrase, “I can’t abide that”, which is similar to I can’t stand that, or I can’t stomach that. As Christians, our context for abiding, comes from John 15 where Jesus is telling us to abide in the vine. Let’s explore what this means today.

John 15:4 ESV “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.”

Jesus is using an analogy: talking about a familiar, natural process, to explain a spiritual concept that is less well understood. In today’s culture, we are far removed from the vineyard and the natural growth process of vines. It is harder for us to relate to this analogy since our experience with growing things is often limited to a few house plants, or keeping the grass and landscaping alive. Despite this, we can learn a lot by reflecting on Jesus’s words. He is talking about the great value that He places on bearing fruit, and on remaining with Him, and in Him. He is the vine, and we are the branches. All the water, nutrients, and life, are dependent on the flow from the roots of the plant into the branch. Without sunlight, water, and other nutrients, the plant will be unable to bear fruit. We do not have to have a green thumb to realize that if the branch is cut off, it dies.

In a similar way, we need to stay connected to the living water and the nutrients of God, in the spirit. If we do not receive the nourishment and life-giving water of the spirit, we begin to shrivel and die. When we are cut off from the life of God in Jesus, we become spiritually atrophied and vulnerable to attack. We must rest, remain, dwell, and abide with Jesus, and nurture a living relationship, where we are a-tuned to His voice in our hearts. Then we are abiding in our fellowship with God.

John 15:5b,8 “…for apart from me you can do nothing. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

To be truly disciples of Jesus, we must be followers who seek to do the will of God. We begin to bear the fruit of our relationship with Jesus. This truth leads to our growth and transformation. Paul shares an earnest desire to see believers understand the treasure of their relationship with Christ. 

Colossians 2:2-3 “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Colossians 3:1-3 “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are things we seek after and desire. Let’s recognize that they are treasures hidden in Jesus. We gain wisdom, by gaining Him.

1 John 1:3 “that which we have seen and heard 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.”

Today, let us remind ourselves that our fellowship with God is renewed by abiding in Jesus, and acknowledging that without Him, we can do nothing of value. We are His!