Abide in Me!

Abide in Me!

In the parable of the true vine, Jesus gives an exhortation and a promise to His disciples: “Abide in Me, and I will abide in you!” [Norw.] And He continues with an important statement: “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.

The entire parable also contains a serious warning: “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” V. 6. Jesus says clearly that we are meant to bear much fruit, and He emphasizes the condition one more time: “Without Me you can do nothing.” How can this take place?

The explanation is in verse 7: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you . . .” A little later He repeats the same thing: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love . . .” V. 10. The secret to abiding in Him is that we abide in His word when we encounter the trials and tribulations of life. We see that this parable is marked by a profound seriousness, while offering us hope for a glorious life, one filled with good fruits—the virtues of Jesus.

In a passage where he reminds us of the difference between the Jews and the Gentiles, Paul uses the same image of the root and the branches. As Gentiles, we were cut off from partaking of the “root and fatness of the olive tree,” but through salvation in Jesus Christ, it has now become possible for us to draw power and sap from the tree of godliness. We, who by nature are branches on the wild tree, can now be cut off and grafted into the good olive tree. Here, we are also encouraged to take things seriously: “Do not be haughty, but fear,” Paul writes. It is important to realize that this is done by faith: “. . . and you stand by faith.” Rom. 11:16-24.

These images of the vine and the olive tree bring to mind the powerful testimony that Paul gave in Gal. 2:20. He regarded himself as being crucified with Christ, i.e. “cut off” from the old and wild tree of self-life. The cross worked powerfully in his life. And the life he now lived in the flesh, he lived by faith in the Son of God. His connection with self-life and self-will had been severed, and he now lived in faith that he had access to “the root and fatness of the olive tree.” Jesus lived in him. He was a true disciple. He bore abundant fruit which was brought forth by the Holy Spirit. He was dead, and his life was hidden with Christ in God. Col. 3:3.

Let us consciously build our lives on this foundation. Then we will remain in God’s goodness and we will abide in Him and in His word. Rom. 11:22. Our “wild nature” is kept on the cross and the life of Jesus can be revealed in us—by a living faith!