What does it mean to abide in Jesus?
Where we read about abiding the most is of course in John 15 where Jesus speaks of Himself as the vine and the Church as the branches.
Jesus has just kept the Passover with His disciples, Judas has left to betray Jesus and now Jesus continues to talk to the remaining eleven faithful disciples.
So we see that this passage of scripture is written to believers.
He begins by saying ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser).’
Then He says, maybe thinking of Judas, ‘Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:’
Judas who had appeared to be a disciple, had maybe kept the law well but had not put his faith in Christ. He was a dead branch, bearing no fruit and so was taken away.
But if we, by God’s grace have put our trust in Jesus and Him bearing our punishment on the cross on our behalf, we are safe in Christ Jesus. There will be the necessary pruning away of self and sin by we cannot be cut off.
‘And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.’
As God’s children we have this place in Him positionally.
But it’s also something we have to walk out experientially, day by day.
‘Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 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.’
So what is abiding?
Abiding is not so much something we do, as it is resting. It’s resting or being held, tarrying in our Saviour’s love.
It’s rest and peace in Jesus Christ and what He has fulfilled on our behalf.
Then from that place of rest we trust in His power working in us, through the Holy Spirit, to enable us to walk in obedience and do those good works that He has prepared for us. Not to earn anything but out of love to our Saviour.
So as we rest in Christ and His love, the sap (the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of Jesus Christ) flows from Christ the vine to us, the branches. Then, filled with that love; both His love for us and ours for Him, we are motivated to good works and obedience that honour and glorify God and the fruit of the Spirit becomes evident in our lives. (love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience) gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (self control).)
‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’
With Love
