There’s a struggle, a pull, to break away, to break off.
Abide? Remain. What are reasons? Why the effort?
Fruit.
Fruit is the reason we must abide. Fruitfulness is a reason to remain. Without abiding in the Vine, there will be no fruit. Nada, nothing. No love, no peace, no gentleness. No power for obedience.
God’s Word says,
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing . . .
John 15:5.
So, first we must surrender to the Vine, as a branch.
Easier said than done, for most of us. But fruit is a desire. How we want in our lives the fruit of the Spirit. “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.”
Oh, there are plenty of examples of faithlessness in the Bible. Not in God, ever, but in man, often.
I think of Jonah. A man of God. A prophet. A book of the Bible is all about him. But there is no covering. This man is written up exactly as he was.
God gave him a job. Jonah ran the other way.
But God loved him and sent a big storm. Yes. And a bit of a drowning. And a whale for a lifeguard, that later spit him up on dry ground.
Hey, this could look, from certain perspectives, (lacking faith and God’s point of view,) as if God messed up somehow.
But read the book of Jonah with open ears and heart, and discover the beauty of trial. It kills pride and spits us up on a solid ground of humbleness.
So, “What does all this have to do with fruit?”
Well, Jonah was broken after the steamy, hot trial of being trapped in the belly of a whale. And it brought a complete surrender. Jonah was now ready to let God lead his steps.
He willingly put off his pride, due to great brokenness, and put on a garment of humbleness.
Perhaps we can say, Jonah was now ready to “abide.”
He hears our thoughts, He receives us to Himself, even though He knows full well, we are full of faithlessness. He grafts us into the Vine which is Christ. And instructs us gently to keep close focus on Him, not enlarging the wisdom of man above His ways.
Like insects clinging to the leaf to sap strength, we must “put off” those things that invoke fear and lack of hope:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God, Colossians 3:1-3.
“But everyone else s doing it,” we might think at times. But we are called to abide:
” . . . now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices,” Colossians 3:8,9.
Only in abiding do we have power to put off all of these.
To abide is not to do as we “naturally” want.
Fruit. Fruit is the desire.
“Self-control, please.”
Second, to focus on the Vine increases faith with hope for tomorrow and contentment for today that the Living waters of life and peace might flow through our veins:
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you, John 15:2-4.
Through the Word we are cleansed. Through God’s Word we are branches trained up:
Having, “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator,” Colossians 3:10.
Yes, the third ingredient to successful abiding that fruit might be ours, is “renewal” of the mind, day in, day out. Taking our own inventory first and not worrying about everybody else. (Perhaps, this proves to be the biggest test!)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will,” Romans 12:1,2.
And to help us keep our focus on things we have power to change:
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others, Romans 12:3-5.
Fourth, is the encouragement of community together. To hold each other up. To be watered with the Word. To hope together, to never give up. To look at the good and grow in God’s love:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things, Philippians 4:8.
God is faithful. God is Steadfast. God is merciful. God is Shelter for us. We praise Him who is perfect in all that He is, and ask Him to give us sufficient grace to face the trials we feel.
So, fifth, and finally we who abide can have power to clothe ourselves, as it flows from inside:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity, Romans 12:12,13,14.
Fruit on the branch that abides in the Vine waves with the move of the Spirit, each new day that it yields:
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts, Col.3:15.
A song of praise to remind us to continue and remain. Love and thankfulness are continually ours in His presence:
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him, Colossians3: 16-17.
Let us abide in the Lord and bear fruit in this day. With the Lord’s Spirit flowing through our veins!