THE VINE AND THE BRANCHES, PART IV.

John 15:4, 5. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can you, except you abide in me.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.

We started out in Part I by saying that in the natural setting the branches of grape vines are indelibly connected to the vine itself.

Likewise it is God’s doing that we have been grafted into the Vine which is Jesus Christ, Rom.11:17.Therefore, abiding in Jesus is not a condition, but a position.

(The word “abiding” comes from abode, which indicates a dwelling place.)

Our Father has accepted his children in the beloved, Jesus Christ, Eph.1:4. That is a permanent position, for God is forever faithful.

The condition is that we, being children of the light, live in a constant awareness that only by God’s grace we are what we are.

Abiding in the vine does not call for any action on our part, anything that we must do, except a moment by moment awareness that Jesus, (the vine) is the source of our life and being. Jesus is very clear about this when he says: Without me (the life that flows from the vine into the branches), you can do nothing!

We do not even have the wherewithal to abide, to dwell in or to remain in the vine.

But Jesus is all sufficient, he is the provision for that situation also.

I Peter 1:4 and 5 tells us that we are partakers of an incorruptable inheritance, one that does not diminish with time.

And that we are kept, preserved in order to partake of that inheritance by the power of God through faith, that power of God being the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Or Rom.5:10 ……For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being (having been) reconciled, shall we be saved (kept, preserved) by his life.

Abiding (being constantly aware of our position, provision and protection in Christ Jesus) will produce much fruit.

The fruit being the peaceable fruit of righteousness also called the fruit of the Spirit.

Fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance and such like.

And the fruit of righteousness will make us fit for the Father’s use, to be his instruments of mercy in a fallen world.

Philippians 4:13 …….I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength, (no, he is my strength, my life).

When anything is done through Christ, then he is the one who is doing it, not I.

Conversely, when I can do all things only through him, then that also means that without him I am incapable of doing anything.

An old and still very relevant song goes like this:

I’ve found a new way of living, I’ve found a new life divine,

I have the fruit of the Spirit, I’m abiding, abiding in the Vine.

St.Thomas, Dec./’08. Simon VanderKooy.