Remaining In Christ

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
John 15:1-4

It’s important to notice that it is the “branch” that must bear fruit. Never do you read where the gardener “cuts” or “prunes” the vine to make the branches bear fruit. The vine has already demonstrated and proven to the gardener it’s ability to give life. So any lack of fruit bearing is not on the vine side. So what must a branch do to enjoy a fruitful life?

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be me disciples.”
John 15:7-8

God’s Word is life blood to the branch, just as blood coursing through my veins is life to my body. My arm is like a limb. It is attached to the trunk of my body. The blood passes from my heart, located in the trunk, to my arm ensuring life to the limb. If you cut off blood circulation to my arm, eventually my arm will wither. Cut yourself off from God’s Word and eventually you will wither. God’s Word cleans us and keeps us pruned. Hebrews 4:12 describes God’s Word like this”

“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

We will wither like an arm with no blood flow, if we do not allow God’s Word to ebb through every corner of our lives. However, remaining in Christ is more than just remaining in His Word. It is also remaining in His love!

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”

John 15:9

Jesus is very specific about what that entails. He tells us in verse 10 that: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s command and remain in His love.”

Just as my arm needs life-giving blood flowing to it to make it viable, my arm must also be exercised! If you fail to use your arm, even with proper blood flow, your arm can still wither and become unusable. Remember fruit is the outward testimony of a life connected with Jesus. This outward evidence in manifest in our obedience to God’s Word. As we live out the Word, that is flowing through us, we demonstrate our love for God. By exercising God’s Word in our lives, we reveal ourselves to be friends of God.
“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
John 15:14-16

God recognizes the fruit that is born out of the vine. As the master gardener, He can identify what fruit is being born out of a life connected to Jesus and what fruit is being born out of a connection to something else. Matthew 7:17-20 declares:

“Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit . Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

God’s desire for us is to bear good fruit. Fruit that will last. You can live a fruitful life if you remain in His Word and remain in His love.





Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com