Abide and Be Fruitful

While reading John 15:1-17 recently, the word "abide(s)" caught my attention. Of course I have read or heard this scripture many times over the years, but then I began to dig a little deeper. Jesus is speaking and teaching His followers by using the example of the vine and the branch, saying, in verse 1, that He is the true vine and His Father is the vinedresser; those who are not bearing fruit will be taken away, but those branches that are bearing fruit will be pruned that they may produce more fruit. And just how will there be "more fruit"?? By staying connected to the vine; Charles Stanley once said by just "hanging on the Vine"; abiding. Exactly how many times does the Lord use the word "abide" in this scripture? I counted 11 as I was reading the English Standard Version translation; the NIV uses the word "remain"; KJV and NKJV say "abide".

And what does the word, "abide" really mean?? What is Jesus instructing us to do? I went to the online dictionary and looked up: abide:
1. tolerate, suffer, accept, bear, endure, put up with, take, stand, stomach;
2. last, continue, remain, survive, carry on, endure, persist, keep on

Preferring to accept the second meaning, I had to take notice that some of those listed as the first might also be applied as possibilities for the one who is "abiding" in Christ. I also thought of the word "dwell" as a meaning for abide and did see it in one of the other definitions.Thinking about dwelling and remaining in Christ and His words in us, reminded me of a story I heard once to describe the word, "abide." Just as a tea bag just sits in the water (and most of the time it's hot water) that flows through it to make the tea, we are to "abide" in Christ in all situations and as He flows through us, and lives His life through us, fruit will be produced. The tea bag doesn't and can't make the tea without "abiding" in the water, just resting there all the while. The tea bag doesn't jump around or busying itself with making the tea, but remains, enduring the heat of the water until it turns into delightful, refreshing tea in the end. Remember Christ said, "...apart from me you can do nothing" (v.5).

These verses contain a few commands concerning "abiding"and "loving": "Abide in me" v.4, "Abide in my love" v.9, "...love one another" v. 12, "...bear fruit...that should abide...ask the Father in my name" (abide and pray), v. 16. Remembering that these commands are not a choice, let's go back and look at some of the results of "abiding":
>Fruit bearing - "...As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me" (v. 4).
>Much fruit - "...Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit..." (v.5).
>Answers to prayer - "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (v.7); "...abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." (v. 16).
>The Father is glorified - "By this my Father is glorified, ...bear much fruit...prove to be my disciples" (v.8).
>Obedience/Love - "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love..." (v.10); "These things I command you, so that you will love one another" (v. 17).
>Joy - "...that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (v.11).
>Called friends - "You are my friends if you do what I command you....I have called you friends..." (v. 14, 15).
>Chosen to bear fruit - "...I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide..." (discipling others) (v. 16).

As we depend on Christ, the Vine, living His life through us, the branches, He also gives us a promise of the fruit of His love and His joy in our lives, and His example to follow, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full"(vs. 10, 11).

Abide and be fruitful!

1 Collins Thesaurus of the English Language - Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 (c) HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 139
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.