"Abiding in the Vine"

By Jay Pearson

John 15:5
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.

Abide or Abiding is not a word I use often outside of church and I thought it good to check a word source for its meaning and get some clarity.

Abide: dwell
Abiding: unceasing, synonym: enduring, imperishable
Abide by: act of accordance with someone’s rules, commands, or wishes  

Thank God, our "abiding in the vine" isn’t left to our own strength and abilities or even a secular dictionary. Strong’s Bible Concordance simply says "to remain." What’s more important is what the Bible says and how it is used in context. So let us take a look.

John 15:4
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.

The words abide, branch, and fruit got me thinking of a time way back. Back to a time from my youth that is very special to me. If you don’t mind I’d like to share it with you.

When I was very young living in the hilly state of southern Indiana, there was a neighbor’s pasture behind our house. Just below the levy of a small pond I visited often was a giant apple tree. It might not be so giant now if it still stands, but at eight years old it was huge. I remember there was a wind that had blown a branch out of that tree a couple of weeks before one of our visits. It was dried up and didn’t look good at all. The apples were gone of course. Ribbon, the neighbor’s horse, had got to them first. But there stood that huge fruit bearing green apple tree daring us to come get some. Those juicy apples were always delicious. The neighbor’s son and I would climb that tree and shake a limb or two causing the apples to fall from the branches. We’d climb down and stuff ourselves laying under that huge fruit tree. Sometimes we would suffer the consequence of gluttonous indulgence, but those green apples were worth it. That fruit would look so good hanging on those branches we couldn’t wait to partake.

That is what fruit is for. It is to be taken by someone to eat and receive the fullness of what flavors they offer. The fruit of the Spirit are like those apples. The difference being, you can’t eat too much. When people see it manifested they want some, if they are of the Lord’s calling. Abide in the Lord and bear much fruit that others may receive of its flavors.

John 15:5
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.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

There are five topics I want you to be aware of as we go forward, but not set forth in any special order. They pop up throughout this lesson as they have already.

1. The Lord’s commandment
2. Abiding in the Vine
3. The branches bearing of the fruit
4. The fruit itself
5. Our responsibility as branches

John 15:5
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.

We know from our revelation awareness and reading of the Bible, that we have been taught that abiding is not a part time venture or a job to be vacationed from. The Lord abides in us if we are his and he wants us to remain or abide in him. The branch does not produce the fruit, but it bears the fruit. It provides the holding strength for the fruit to be displayed and the conduit for the sustenance to produce the fruits growth. We are the branches in the body of Christ. Christ is the Vine. For God’s Word to work in your life you need to be obedient. God’s Word works and it is truth. For it to work in your personal life effectively you need to abide in the Vine and that means obey his commandments. The ingredient that we provide in our relationship with the Lord and bearing up of the fruit of the Spirit as branches is obedience.

John 15:10
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

John 15:12
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Jesus knows how much we need examples and reminders. Now let's take a look at the fruit of the Spirit. As branches we supply the obedient strength to bear the fruit and the conduit for Christ to give the increase of that fruit. Our part is to abide and obey. Even the strength to obey and bear up is not of our own strength entirely, for without him we can do nothing.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

There are many verses showing examples of the fruit of the Spirit throughout God’s word. I have only chosen one each. They are  listed together in Galatians 6:22-23.

LOVE:

1 John 4:19
We love him, because he first loved us.

JOY:

John 15:11
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

PEACE:

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

LONGSUFFERING:

Ephesians 4:2
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

GENTLENESS:

2 Samuel 22:36
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.

GOODNESS:

Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

FAITH:

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

MEEKNESS:

1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

TEMPERANCE:

Titus 2:2
That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

Now certainly one of the most important things in life to do is to believe on Jesus Christ and the Father who sent him and keep his commandments.

John 15:12
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

AS I HAVE LOVE YOU 

To understand this, I only have to look back at my life from childhood till now and realize how much Jesus Christ loved me. Certainly not when I was good or even attempting to be. How about you? Let us love one another as Jesus loved us. Let us bear the fruit of the Spirit for other to partake of all their flavors. And let us bear those fruits on display in our life and be obedient to the Lord. As the Vine he will supply the sustenance for the fruit to grow.

John 15:16-17
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

The Lord will absolutely supply everything you ask him for that you need to abide in him and bear much fruit. Trust him and ask.

 

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Presented September 17, 2017 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana