How to Abide in Christ
“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. 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 15:4, 5
What do you feel when you read this passage?
Do you feel a wishful longing? I wish it could be my reality, but I’m not sure if I’m doing it right.
Do you feel guilty? I know I ought to abide in Christ more, but my life is so busy!
Do you feel fear? If abiding is required for fruitfulness and Jesus prunes the fruitless, will that happen to me?
The Struggle
If I’m honest, perhaps the struggle is that I don’t want this to be true. I certainly live like it! I might say I need Him but I live as if Jesus is only good for those times when I’m in above my head.
However, if I believe Jesus speaks truth (and He does!), then we can do nothing apart from Him.
No matter how many spiritual disciplines I practice, they will not change my heart apart from Him.
No matter how faithfully I train my children, doing this apart from Him may be fruitless—or worse, produce false fruit.
No matter how many ministries I serve in at church, my hard work doesn’t necessarily mean the gospel is being advanced.
But when I remind myself of this verse in these situations, I run into a different struggle.
How do I know if I’m abiding? It seems so mystical. Trying to define it feels like putting rules to a relationship. A fear of failure and with it, legalism, may tinge my efforts.
The Bottom Line
Jesus provides a vivid metaphor in the vine and branches to help us stay connected. As the true vine, He is the “stem” of the plant, the part that is rooted into the ground, the part of the plant that transfers nutrients to the branches that twine and require support.
To “abide” as a branch means “to stay or remain” connected to this stem. It means hanging on to the source of life instead of relying on myself.
Let’s make this a bit more specific: we are not natural branches, but as Gentiles, we are grafted ones (Rom. 11:11-24). Paul reminds us that this is an honor and a privilege we should not take for granted.
In the beginning, it takes work for the graft to fuse to the vine until that connection takes place. This may seem tenuous at first. John Bunyan describes it like this:
“Heart must be set to heart and edge to edge, or there will be no life; no sap from root to branch to bud and flower to fruit.”
Like waiting, abiding is often characterized by something we are not doing. It is the action of non-action.
Our natural tendency is to slip away, to forget our connection, our need and dependence. We are prone to it when we’re doing something we’ve done many times before. It is easy to forget when endless demands beckon.
When push comes to shove, it is easy to believe the lie that it is up to me. And when that happens, we have removed ourselves from the vine, the source of life.
So What Does Abiding Look Like?
J.C. Ryle describes abiding in Christ as “a habit of constant close communion with Him.” Just like grafted branches need to artificially be sealed to the root with tape until the cells merge and take hold to the vine, these habits may feel artificial at first.
However, if we focus on the purpose of these habits—remaining and abiding in Christ as our life source—and not the habits themselves, they can help us develop a lifelong bond in Christ that becomes more natural with time.
Some of these habits include:
Connecting to God through listening to Him speak through His Word.
Communing with God by responding to His Word through prayer.
Rehearsing Gospel truth that reminds us of His great love for us.
Developing a moment-by-moment awareness of your need for Him in every situation.
Trusting in Him when you are tempted to find your own solutions for your problems.
Submitting to Him in obedience—whether refraining from sin or pursuing righteousness—when His path seems different than yours.
Persevering in endurance with the company of saints with your eyes fixed on our Savior as you run the race (Heb. 12:1-2).
Conclusion
When Jesus spoke these words, He was nearing the time of His crucifixion. Perhaps they were his last-minute instructions, the most important things He wanted His disciples to know when they would soon be physically separated from Him.
If this is true, if this is what He wanted His disciples to most remember, they are no less important today for us. We too are physically separated from Him for this time, but abiding in Him keeps us spiritually connected until that day comes again.
Life here on this earth is difficult. Our tendency to sin makes it easy—and even sensical—to forget Him when pressures mount. Add to that an insidious enemy that encourages us to do so!
So when you find yourself wondering about whether you’re abiding or not, don’t spend all your time berating yourself or analyzing your response. Count it a loving and gentle call from Christ through the Spirit living in you. Come back. Remain. Stay.
As we do, as His life begins to fuse with ours—through the Word, prayer, worship, sacrificial service by His power and Spirit—His will begins to become ours. Our affections begin to change. The fruit of true love and fellowship with our Savior begins to emerge.
Abiding will never be easy, but it will not always be hard. The more we practice the habits of abiding, the more they will become a part of us.
Questions:
How would you describe yourself? A newly grafted branch? A branch hanging on tenuously? A firmly attached branch?
What is a habit you might practice so that your bond with Christ might strengthen? What will that look like?
What eternal spiritual benefits might you anticipate as you practice this habit?
Begin abiding now as you talk to God about your desire to grow more closely connected with Him. Take advantage of the gift of prayer that is opened up for us through Christ.
