Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:4)
This is a profound truth that is the key to bearing fruit, but it is so easy to forget. Because the fruit is borne on the branch, it is easy to credit the branch with the fruit. However, it is the vine that drew the life from the earth and channeled it through the branch. Likewise, since we are the branch through which the life of God flows, we sometimes think it is our own holiness that produces the fruit. The moment we think that way, we are no longer abiding in (trusting in; clinging to) the vine. We will
become fruitless if we persist in this mindset.
This truth is a great relief to believers who understand and apply it properly. It puts all the responsibility on Jesus. Our only responsibility is to respond to His ability. In the same way that we have never seen a branch travailing to bring forth fruit, so all we have to do is labor to enter into His rest [simple_tooltip content=’Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.’](Heb. 4:11)[/simple_tooltip]. We simply depend upon and completely trust Jesus as our source for everything. If we abide and live in Him, fruit will come naturally.
Like the life of a plant is found in the soil, a branch in a vine, or a fish in the sea, your life is found in your union with Jesus Christ. Your faith in what He did for you saved you, and your faith and trust in Him is what will allow you to enjoy the full benefits of salvation today. Just rest in Him, commune with Him, and follow Him. You will find all kinds of fruit start manifesting in your life!
