| ON BECOMING FRUITFUL |
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15:4 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. 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Maintaining its relation to the vine is the condition of life for a branch. Likewise the continuance in that relationship is the condition for fruitfulness of the branch. Jesus applied this natural principle to the believer's union and fellowship with Him. To abide in Christ describes that action of the believer in setting aside all his self-dependence to rely wholly on Christ. It is forsaking one's own wisdom, strength, and merit and drawing through the longings of faith solely upon the power of the Lord.These verses are very explicit in teaching that this action is a consequence of the action of the believer. "Abide in Me" is required as a condition of "I in you". But the act on His part is an immediate response to the action of the believer. When one is accomplished, the other is immediately realized. Immediate fruitfulness is the consequnce of union with Christ. Unfruitfulness results from failure to abide in Him.
TODAYS THOUGHT:
2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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