I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 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.
John 15:1-4
There is a direct link between the depth of our connection to Jesus and the fruit that is on display in our lives. The plan and design God has for each of our lives is not that we live for ourselves, but that we live for Him in a fruitful and productive way. Being fruitful is not something that we can do on our own. No matter how diligently we work or how talented we are, the production of spiritual fruit requires spiritual power. We simply cannot accomplish God’s purposes on our own. We either abide in Christ or we fail to produce good and lasting fruit.
John Napier wrote, “The Scriptures play a major role in this abiding process. As one lives out an ordinary day, meditating upon the Word and the Lord, seeking to bring every thought into captivity to Christ, filtering every experience through the Word, the Spirit has free rein in the heart and communion with the Lord is vibrant. There will be struggles to maintain this unbroken communion; but, when there are failures, communion can be restored through confession and appropriation of the promises of God.”
Even Jesus—fully God and fully man—did not operate independently of the Father. “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” (John 5:19). If the Lord needed that connection, how much more important is it for us to be constantly abiding in Him?
