Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 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. 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 15:3-5
The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, is one of the most highly anticipated events on the calendar for people in the industry. Tens of thousands of guests from around the world gather to see the newest cutting-edge electronic products from the world’s leading manufacturers. The 2018 CES featured the usual exhibitors, including Sony, LG, Panasonic, and Samsung. But on January 10, the trade show went dark. A two-hour power outage shut down the gadgets and displays that were not operating on internal battery power. No matter how advanced the electronics were, they could not perform without a source of power.
The same is true in the Christian life. The work God has called us to do and the fruit He desires us to produce can never be accomplished in our own strength. We may be committed, determined, and diligent, but without the power of Christ, our efforts cannot produce eternal fruit. As the old hymn puts it, “All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down.”
Jesus did not tell His disciples to try harder to bear fruit. He told them to abide in Him. A branch on the vine does not strain to produce grapes; it simply remains connected to the vine and receives the life that flows through it. In the same way, spiritual fruit grows as we remain close to Christ, allow His Word to shape our thinking, depend on Him in prayer, and walk in obedience to His commands. It is easy to become so focused on producing visible results that we neglect the relationship from which genuine fruitfulness comes. But before there can be fruit, there must be abiding. Our greatest need is not greater ability or stronger determination. It is continual dependence on Him.
