Scripture John 15:4 ( AMP)
Remain in Me,and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining on the bone, neither can you ( best fruit, producing evidence of your faith) unless you remain in Me.
The KJV puts it thus:
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, more can ye, except ye abide in me.
The verse above brings to mind the connection between an expectant mother and the growing foetus. Until the baby is born, it's life is anchored in the mother's life, from whence it draws its daily food. The more qualitative the mother's diet and general well being is, the better and healthier the life of the the foetus. As a mother is to the foetus, so is the vine to the branch. Interestingly, the vine can do without the branch, but the branch cannot do without the vine. If the branch is cut off from the vine, it dies, together with any fruit that may be on it, the reason being that it can no longer access the sustaining nutrients from the vine. For the branch to thrive therefore, it must continually feed from the vine.
In John 4:13-14, while Jesus is talking to the Samaritan woman by Jacob's well,he tells her that whereas the water from that well cannot quench her thirst, but whoever drinks the water he gives will never thirst, and that that water will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
Jesus this makes it clear to the Samaritan woman, and by extension to us that he is the centre of our lives and that he is ready to grow us and to enlarge our territory for his own glory. When we do his will, he uses us to impact others. God made all things. He made us in his image, and he commands us to love him with all pour heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and to love our neighbour as ourselves. God is love and we cannot love others without first loving him. In choosing to let him abide in us, that is living by his word, we choose to serve h only and not to turn to other hodd--Deut 6. God commands us to obedience in all that we do.
In John 6:35, Jesus declares that he is the bread of life, and that whoever goes to him and abides on him will neither thirst not hunger. When we are in him, we shall eat and drink without price.ln doing this, Jesus tells us that his grace is sufficient for us. What matterd is eternal life that comes to us through faith in Jesus Christ. Matt 6: 33,34.
Seeking after the things of God enriches our lives. When we abide in him and he in us, he rewards us with the fruit of the Spirit-- Gal 5:22.
But life in Christ is not flawless. There are troubles-John 16:33. He only promises that he has overcome the world on our behalf. In James 1:2-8, we are encouraged not to fear troubles, because troubles make us stronger and develop our faith and endurance.
Because the journey of faith is treacherous, we cannot walk it alone. We must seek God's help. We must ask him for wisdom. We must not doubt when we ask, for if we doubt, we deny ourselves God's blessings. We must search the Scriptures and meditate upon them day and night. We must pray without ceasing. In this way, we shall be thoroughly equipped for his work and shall do nothing out of vanity--2Tim 3:16.
As I conclude, I would like to invite us to interrogate ourselves and see whether we are truly abiding in him and he in us. If not, may he search our hearts and inner eyes and remove all the logs that are preventing us from seeing the Christ who is inviting us to take all our burdens to him. Matt 11:28.
Justice Sitati
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