Abiding In Christ - Pt. 2

Sunday Service

John 15:1-11

In this passage, Jesus explained what it means to abide in Him and how we know if we are abiding in Him. There are SEVEN FRUITS of abiding in Christ.

1. We are consistently CONVICTED by Christ’s Word (vv. 1-3)
Jesus established Himself as “I AM”, the self-existent One (Exodus 3). He took on that title to declare His deity (John 8, 10, 11, 14). By referring to Himself as the ‘True Vine’ He also declared His supremacy and deity, and as the Vine-keeper, Jesus Christ has the authority to judge a person’s salvation. He does this based on a person’s spiritual fruits (John 5:24, 6:37, 10:27; 1 Corinthians 3:1). Those who are unsaved can expect to suffer God’s wrath for their unbelief and rejection, which is characterized by a lack of fruit or a life of disobedience (John 3:36, 6:66). This includes those who believe in Jesus’ name but do not have saving faith in Him (John 2:23).

2. We are consistently CONNECTED to Christ’s power (vv. 4-6)
Apart from the power of Christ, believers cannot live according to His will or to mature as Christians (i.e., spiritually). To ‘abide’ in Christ means to remain with Him or to continue in obedience to Him. This means maintaining an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, or to remain connected to Him - just as a branch remains connected to its vine.

3. We are consistently COMMITTED to Christ’s will (v. 7)
To commit to Christ’s will means bringing our desires in line with His. We are also to live lives of obedience (John 15). The more we abide in Christ, the more our will becomes like His. His will and thoughts become ours and our prayers will then reflect this.

4. We are consistently CONFIRMED as Christ’s followers (v. 8)
Christ’s followers are known by their fruits. We should become more fruitful the longer we abide in Christ. The more we exhibit the character and conduct of Christ to a lost and dying world, the more God is glorified.

5. We are consistently COMPELLED by Christ’s love (v. 9)
Jesus loves us just as the Father loves His Son. This is an infinite love that we cannot comprehend. So, the Father loves us through Christ, and it is this love that compels us to love Him (2 Corinthians 5:14).

6. We are consistently CONFORMED to Christ’s commands (v. 10)
This means that we obey Christ. This is how Jesus abides in the Love of God the Father. The times we disobey God are the times that we experience disconnection from our heavenly Father (John 14:16, 21, 23).

7. We are consistently CONSUMED with Christ’s joy (v.11)
Jesus wanted His disciples to have the same joy that He had. He also wants every one of His followers to abide in Him and to obey Him so that our happiness will be as great as the happiness and joy that our abiding brings to Him.

Thank God for graciously grafting you into the vine and for regularly pruning your life so that you will grow and flourish and produce much fruit. Ask Him to help you stay constantly connected to Christ.