How to Abide in the Lord as His Branch 

John 15:1-14 

There are two truths which apply to all Christians. The first truth of a Christian is that life flows through us through Jesus Christ, and we have hope that we will go to Heaven where Jesus is waiting for us. The second truth of a Christian is that we need to abide in Jesus who is the vine in order that we can produce fruit. As branches, we will also be pruned to produce more fruit. It is not by our ability to become branches, but it is Jesus. We are, in fact, the product of what Jesus has given us. 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 

John 15:1 ESV 

It is also not enough to be a branch in the vine. We do have a responsibility to accept what Jesus has given us and abide in Jesus. 

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 

John 15:4 ESV 

Every one of us has access to the resources of Jesus. We just need to take and utilize these resources or we will be malnourished. Of course, it is not enough just to be nourished passively by Jesus, we also need to be active and purposeful in accepting the strength from Jesus as we abide in him. 

The question everyone then asks is, “How do we abide in Jesus?” The first way we can abide in Jesus is through the act of obedience. This is the way that will bring joy in our lives. Also, we have the responsibility to obey Jesus. When we say that we follow or abide in Christ, it means we accept what Jesus has commanded. 

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 

John 15:10-11 ESV 

The act of abiding in Jesus requires endurance and sacrifice. Jesus would not have told the disciples to abide in Him unless things were going to be difficult. Jesus knows there would be threats against the disciples to dissuade them from following Jesus. 

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 

John 15:4 ESV 

As Christians we will experience situations that will affect our faith. There will be moments when the promises of God do not seem to have manifested in the ways we thought they would. Yet, we need to press on against sin and take on our role to be followers of Christ. 

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 

Hebrews 12:4 ESV 

This also means we need to embrace Jesus' pruning. Pruning involves two types of branching cutting. Those branches which do not bear fruit are cut off from the vine and thrown away. The farmers using large machetes have no love loss for cutting off those worthless branches from their life source. The branches that are bearing fruit are pruned by trimming back carefully the branches with pruning shears, so that life will continue in the most productive way. 

There are many things in our lives that distract us from serving God completely. Some of those things may be needed in our lives for a short, but are then removed do we can grow. Other things in our lives may be separating us from God, so God needs to remove them. In our Christian journey, we need to take on our responsibility of accepting Jesus words and commands. We need to accept our pruning so we may grow to produce good, pleasing fruit for God.