Abiding in Christ - Part Two

Previously, we considered abiding in Christ as essential and the consequence of not abiding in Him.  Now, we look at the result of abiding in Christ, as well as its experience.

THE RESULT OF ABIDING IN CHRIST John 15:2b, 5, 7-8, 11

The main result of abiding in Christ is fruitfulness in growing measure.  God the Father prunes fruitful branches so that they bear more fruit (verse 2b).  Believers experience God’s discipline in the removal of hindrances to spiritual fruitfulness.  This may be sinful attitudes and actions or neutral ambitions and distractions.  God will deal with anything that prevents fruitfulness.  Pruning may be uncomfortable, but the outcome is worth it.  Becoming more like Jesus and serving Him more outweighs the discomfort (Hebrews 12:5-11 cf. 2 Corinthians 4:15).

Further, continued abiding in Christ will produce much fruit (verse 5) and this will glorify the Father (verse 8).  Both Jesus and the Father enable believers to bear fruit, but Jesus glorified the Father in all things and so the Father is the focus in this context.  Fruitfulness is more about God’s glory than it is about the believer’s blessing.

Jesus then teaches that mutual abiding enables powerful praying.  In this case, instead of Jesus abiding in the believer, it is His words.  Internalising the Scriptures is a necessary part of abiding in Christ so that believers know their Lord and His will for them.  Ignorance will not produce fruitfulness.  Believers, who depend on Jesus and obey His words, will pray in alignment with God’s will and God will do as they ask (verse 7).  

We need to internalise the Scriptures as a ready resource to fuel our spiritual life, inform our prayers and strengthen our faith.  Our prayers are not blank cheques to obtain our desires to satisfy us.  Genuine prayer focuses on God’s desires in order to glorify Him.

Another result is joy (verse 11).  Abiding in Christ produces fullness of joy, which is not surprising because joy is the second flavour of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  A believer's obedience is not a stoic submission to rules, rather it is a joyful experience of freedom from spiritual bondage.  This is evident from that abiding in Christ looks like.

THE EXPRESSION OF ABIDING IN CHRIST John 15:9-17

At this point, you may be asking, “What does abiding in Christ look like?”  I get that I need to remain connected to Jesus and can grasp the analogy with a vine and its branches, but I need some practical insights for abiding in Christ.  Jesus provides them as He continues to teach His disciples the role of love and obedience in abiding in Him.

The primary expression is loving obedience, following the example of Jesus, who in love, kept His Father’s commandments (verses 9-10).  Keeping His commandments is the way of love for believers, which is the appropriate response to Jesus’ love for them.  Jesus loved us before we ever loved Him (1 John 4:19).  The focus of Jesus’ command to His followers is love toward one another (verse 12).  The greatest expression of love is willing self-sacrifice for others, laying down one’s life for one’s friends (verse 13).  

In a matter of hours after this interaction with His disciples, Jesus would do exactly that and more.  Jesus would give His life for His disciples, who were previously His enemies, as we all were prior to our conversion.  Romans 5:6-10 teaches us that Christ died for the “ungodly”, “sinners”, and “enemies”.  Jesus laid down His life for humanity, which is the greatest act of love, providing the ultimate example of what it means to love one another.

Such willing self-sacrificial love is not limited to dying for others, which is a one-off action and difficult indeed.  However, continual, consistent self-sacrifice for others is more challenging and only in dependence on Jesus can believers hope to achieve it.  Thankfully, such love is the first flavour of the fruit of the Spirit and overflows from the Spirit (Romans 5:5).

Jesus adds another remarkable statement about the relationship between Him and His disciples – calling them “friends” not “servants” (verses 14-15).  A servant or slave obeys the master’s commands without any necessary information beyond the straightforward instructions.  A friend, however, learns what accompanies the instructions and knows what the master is thinking.  This is the new status of the true followers of Jesus.

The basis of this relationship is Jesus’ choice of His friends and not their choice of Him (verse 16).  Jesus chose us for a purpose.  He appointed us to fruitful mission that would have lasting impact.  We must go with the confidence that depending on Jesus will produce lasting fruit.  Accompanying this confidence is the promise of answered prayer for missional activity, as previously stated in verse 7.

Finally, Jesus’ instructions end with the repeated command to love one another, which acts as bookends for this section from verses 12 to 17 (verse 17).  Obviously, Jesus wanted to emphasise this central expression of abiding in Him.

If you want to know if you are abiding in Christ, then check your love quotient.

CONCLUSION:

The Christian faith is at its core relational, which this extended metaphor of Jesus as the true vine and we, as the branches, best expresses.  How remarkable that Jesus would call us friends, even though we are also servants!  By the grace of God, we are in union with Jesus from our initial justification by faith to future glorification with Him in eternity.

Our responsibility is to draw from the life of Christ within us by cultivating intimacy with Him through dependent prayer, internalising the Scriptures and loving obedience.

May this be your commitment and experience to the glory of God.