Abide in Me

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 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. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 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.” John 15:1-5

Does an apple tree struggle to produce apples? Does a pear tree labor to make its sweet crop? As simple as it may appear, the liberating principle for doing God’s work God’s way is learning to abide in Christ. Abiding in Christ means we rest in the finished work of the cross. The cry of Jesus at Calvary was, “It is finished.” He had accomplished the work of redemption, providing the way of victory over sin and Satan for all who place their faith in Him.

Our toil or effort can add nothing to what Christ has done. Our task is to receive the complete sufficiency of Christ for every situation. We do so with the same childlike faith we had at salvation. “Yes, Lord, I believe You can solve this problem, heal this relationship, take care of this anxiety because You are my adequacy. You are all I have, but You are enough.”

The abiding life is the restful life spoken of in Hebrews 4. It is the place of absolute trust and confidence in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Christ is all-sufficient. His life richly flows through you in the Person of the Holy Spirit. He will satisfy every need, fulfill every demand, and produce the abundant Christian life in you as you depend wholly on Him. He is able.

“For we who have believed enter that rest...” Hebrews 4:3