ABIDE IN ME

John 15:4
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Jesus has already revealed the fundamental secret of Christian living, out of which everything else flows. These seven words of Jesus, "Abine in me and I in you," are, in my estimation, the most profound truth ever revealed on this planet. Discovering their meaning is the business of the Christian life.

Here John describes the three things that will happen when this principle begins to work itself out in life. When we begin to put into practice the concept "You in me and I in you," the first person who is changed is ourselves. We grow more Christlike. We display the "fruit of the Spirit." We become more gentle, more gracious, more loving, more easy to live with, more able to cope, more panic-proof. We begin to handle life the way we were intended to do. That is what it means to become Christlike.

Without the flow of God’s Spirit there is no life. You must be firmly attached to the Vine where you’re receiving the spiritual sap and life and nourishment that you need directly from the Lord Himself. A lot of how you grow is up to you and how much nourishment you receive, so don’t cut yourself off from the Vine.

Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). But if you are dwelling in the Vine, as one of the branches, then you can produce beautiful leaves and beautiful fruit so that He and the Father may be glorified and have much fruit (John 15:8).

Are we pluged into the Vine or are we pluged into the world?