We can have fruit and then much fruit. Obedience demonstrates the _____________ of your relationship with the Lord do you love Him? Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. Lest we also fall into that same trap, let me quickly remind you of the context. Three Ways to "Abide in Me" The first key to abiding in Christ is receiving and believing Him. Lets end by looking at how to abide in Jesus. The Apostle John uses the word over 30 times alone which seems appropriate as he was one of the inner circle during Jesus' earthly life. The grapevine was a symbol of Jewish national life. so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. We are the instruments of fruit-bearing. The vine had become a symbol of the nation Israel. If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned (John 15:6). I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. Dwight M. Pratt Copyright Statement These files are public domain. That is the reason that Jesus was willing lay down His life as a sacrifice for our sins. Our moral code and conduct are based in our love for God and prodded by the Holy Spirit who indwells us. Writer. 1 : to conform to abide by the rules. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. Jesus warns those who are not in verse 6. Judas has ignored Jesus many warnings to him, and having his heart filled with Satan, he has left to do his evil deed of betrayal. I liked that. We seek His blessings rather than see Him as the Blessing. Not wishing to leave the imperative to abide in His love in abstract terms, Jesus gives a very specific and practical example of the commandments of which He speaks. Their sin condemns them, and apart from being in Christ there can be no forgiveness for that sin. Whatever wealth you may gather to yourself by whatever means you use, does not really belong to you. In Jeremiah 2:21 Israel is described as a vine that is sending out degenerate shoots. There are no special techniques or formulas. Abode, as a noun (Greek mone) twice in New Testament: "make our abide with him" ( John 14:23 ); "mansions," the Revised Version, margin "abiding-places" ( John 14:2 ). Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. And its the only way we can produce anything of lasting value. We place the weight of life on our own shoulders. and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. The intimacy of friendship includes us in the inner circle of God, and here our Lord makes known His secrets. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25), Highlights in the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ. "Entry for 'ABIDE'". In 1 Corinthians 16:6 some mss. 18. As the branches, we are the visible manifestation of the life of the vine. The emphasis in verses 9-25 is on obedience. Being drunk or drugged in public is obvious, but many people keep it a secret in the privacy of their own home. "Abide in Me, and I in you. Similarly, Jesus tells his followers the same is true for them. Which do you think is more dangerous? The Blessing of Abiding in Jesus John 15:4-5. It was out of His love. The problem with too many people in positions of authority government, military, business, social organizations and even sports teams is they forget this truth and that they will give an account to God. Abide means to live, __________, remain, continue in. Failing to abide is more than just a hindrance to fruitfulness; it is a severing from the source of life. Abiding in Christ provides us with life and strength. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. underscore expressing Christs love through us. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Abiding in Christ by obeying His commands changes our relationship from that of slaves to that of friends (verse 14-15). If not, talk with a church leader and get the spiritual help you need. Not to abide leads to death and destruction. John 15:4-5, 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. The Lord once ministered in His earthly body, but now ministers and reveals His life in His spiritual body. We would love to introduce you to Jesus Christ personally, or if you are already a believer, we count it a privilege to encourage you in your walk with Him. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. There are more than 100 abide in the Word Scriptures. Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abide th not the fire ye shall make go through the water. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Those that do love Jesus demonstrate that love by keeping His commandments, and obeying Jesus demonstrates abiding in Him and His love. They had hoped for the Kingdom to be established and for positions of power and prominence in His regime. In Psalm 80:8 the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt is described in terms of a vine being transplanted from the soil of Egypt to that of Canaan. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ; 14:5,8,22; 16:17ff.). Proud member John 3:6-9 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. This is not conjecture; I find it clearly taught in Psalm 127. He said, Bob, Ive been involved in the starting of several churches and my experience has always been the same. This shows us that another aspect of abiding in Jesus is remaining in Jesus. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Actually, its the ONLY way. Dead and diseased branches are obvious ones to remove in this process, but there are also branches, that for whatever reason, simply do not bear fruit. have this word. Prayer is not about us getting God to do what we want. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. It is this type of prayer that brings glory to God by the much fruit that we bear as a result of it. It would be a ritual that would remind them of the sacrifice He was about to make to redeem them from their sin and remember His promise to return for them. The intimacy of physical contact and association with their Lord would be set aside for a deeper, more lasting, spiritual union with Him. (See: The Final Passover, Part 1). Bible Answer: While Jesus' statement " abide in My love " was a command given directly to His twelve disciples, it also applies to every believer. 2. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. All of these changes necessitated learning to abide in Christ in a way they had never known before. Negatively this is seen in chapter five of Johns gospel: And you do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent (John 5:38). You begin with a flurry of enthusiasm and excitement, but sooner or later it comes down to just plain endurance just sticking it out.. This word true is used primarily in two senses in the New Testament. I must repeat the story I heard of the man who was waxing eloquent to his wife of how much he loved her. The apostle James counseled, 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Too often we distill Christianity into a set of beliefs. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 1 John 3:6-10, No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Matthew 3:16. Abiding is our obligation; fruitfulness is Gods concern. Children come from resting, not striving, from intimacy, not fervency; they are the result of a union, not an intense effort. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.. Just a like a vine that decides to disconnect from its source of life, a follower of Jesus who disconnects from God will stop producing fruit in their life. Their own deeds will condemn them for even their attempts at righteous deeds are as a filthy garment before our holy God (Isaiah 64:6). To not abide is to face the inevitable consequence which is death and judgment. Abiding is essential for fruit bearing. As we live in close relationship to Christ there is a change in our character as we are transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2) and become conformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29) which would include our actions and attitudes. And the result? Dutchess County As the true vine our Lord is the source of life and strength and fruit. The first time He says "Abide in My love" is in John 15:9; the second time is in John 15:10. Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. The summation of this chapter can be expressed in two statements: (1) Abide in meexperience that love (verses 1-8); and (2) Express that love (verses 9-17). For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. How can you have Jesus joy? The Tucson Democrat was caught in the act on April 10, the third time the Bibles disappeared. One result of our obedience to our Lords command is joy. What a comfort! God does that with us. Pastor. Christians are forgiven no matter how many times they sin, but at the same time Christians should live a progressively more holy life as they grow closer to Christ. Pruning the vines is not only common practice, but necessary practice in order to have a decent grape crop. have sumparameno), to express his confidence that he will "abide," and "continue to abide," with the saints. How instructive the physical union of man and woman is here. What Jesus began to do and teach (Acts 1:1), His church now continues to do and say. The word abide in the Bible only appears a few times in the New Testament (John 15:4, 1 John 2:28). 2 : to accept without objection . John 15:9-10, Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? If the love of Christ is to be shown in His disciples, they must be willing to give themselves to and for others. The disciples would have understood all this and so would have also understood that Jesus declaration of being the true vine was a claim to be the fulfillment of all these symbols. Apart from God we can do nothing. What surprises most people is also cutting back the branches that did bear fruit, yet that is necessary if I want more and better fruit. He would not be heralded as Israels king, but hated (verse 18). It is a belief and a relation with the person of Jesus Christ and His Word (John 15:7). How many times does the bible use the word abide? Abiding in Christ identifies us with Him before the world. He will not be present with them physically as He had before, but He will remain with them spiritually and in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Deut 30:9. John the Baptist challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees to bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8). Children are a gift of the Lord. KIDS KORNER They had already been cleansed by faith in His words (verse 3). Here He emphasizes that you will abide in His love just as His obedience to the Father demonstrated He abides in the Fathers love. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' As Romans 14:17 puts it, the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Our prescribed rituals, baptism and Communion, are about our identification with Christ and proclamation of both His death on our behalf and our hope in His return. Every feature in Abide is designed to teach and develop Scripture-engagement habits that help you know the power and spiritual nourishment of abiding in Christ. It means to live, dwell, remain, continue. The apostle John liked this word so much that he used the word 23 times in just 1 John. This is how we abide in Christs love: If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Fathers commandments, and abide in His Love (John 15:10). I will NEVER pay for these again. Maybe youve heard that term before. (See The Final Passover, Part 2), Jesus statements that He was about to go away left them sad, so He has also comforted them with assurance that though He was going away, He was going to His Fathers house and would be preparing a place for them there, and He would return for them and bring them to that place. They might be sports, sprouts or suckers that might have lots of leaves and look pretty, but they do not fulfill my purpose for the plant in producing fruit. It could either mean lifting up in the sense of supporting, undergirding (cf. (See: Comfort for Those Who Believe, Part 2). The reason is simply that such a person desires the will of Christ over their own. Douay-Rheims Bible Abide in me, and I in you. Do not be amazed that I said to you, You must be born again., The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit., Nicodemus said to Him, How can these things be?. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Greed is on display in robbery and theft, but it also exists in a hard heart without compassion to help the real needs of others. For the first few weeks or months, marriage is able to function on the fuel of romantic feelings. The first two verses graphically reveal the futility of self-effort. It is the Fathers task alone to deal with believers (fruitful branches) and unbelievers (unfruitful branches, those who only profess to be in the vine). Though the word abide isn't always used, the concept of abiding is found throughout the Bible. But Jesus makes clear that it a Also check out: The Powerful Meaning Of Matthew 11:28-30 (my yoke is easy meaning). If you never spend any time with him that connection will fall apart. Remember the illustration of the John 15:4 meaning; a branch relies, or depends on, the vine. Jesus repeats the phrase twice. They would eventually go to the Father through Jesus. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. His true followers were saved; they were clean. Only Judas was unclean, due to his unbelief. In other words, abiding isnt something you do once and then you are done. The 8-week Bible study From Beginning to Forever reveals the entirety of Scripture as God's big story and His work to redeem and restore the entire world. Second, we must remember the words of Jesus in verse 16: You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give you.. It could be just leaves that look pretty but have no value in harvest, or they may have the fruit produced by the diseases of sin that ravish them. They are meeting the conditions of 1 John 5:14-15, And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. What is the context of John 15:1-11? The lack of spiritual fruit in their lives reveals their true relationship with Christ. We must stay by God, continue to depend on him. Christ will lay down His life for His friends. Jesus has used some of the elements of Passover to establish a new memorial meal which we commonly refer to as the Lords Supper or Communion. Our burdens are light and we can find rest. To learn more about the John 15:4 meaning check out this incredible resource: Dr Tom Constables Bible Notes On John 15, The temptation for most of us is to go at life solo. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. To abide is to continue, to stay, to remain. If you do not know that joy, then talk with myself or one of our church leaders.