Abide in Christ, to bear fruit

Abide in Christ, to bear fruit

S - John 15:5, 7-10 (NASB)

⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 

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 ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. ⁹ Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ 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. 

O - I am trying to put into perspective what it must have been like for the disciples to be hearing this message from Jesus.  For the average Christian believer these verses may not sound so foreign because it is now apart our Christian culture. The idea of being apart of what God is doing, and Him living within me while not normal is understood by believers.   For the disciples they likely only knew the traditions from the law of Moses, with levitical priests interceding for your sins, through offerings, and even bridging the gap between God's presence and the individual.   Now all of sudden Jesus is saying, we must stay closely connected to Him, directly, because He will live in each of us if we abide in Him.  The result of this dependent relationship with Christ will be fruit.  

A -  The application for me is one that I am learning at New Hope Aiea.   By deeply seeking Christ, abiding in Him, and His word.  Following his commandment  to love one another, and to reach the world with the good news (though this comes later),  I am beginning to see that in order to see fruit in the local church, we must be seeking His presence,  and abiding in His word.  It is out of this abiding in the Christ, that we are connected with the Father, and then God is glorified as we begin to bear much fruit and prove to disciples of Christ.

P  -  Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotion, may it be sealed to my heart.  Thank you Lord for showing me how to abide in you and your word, please continue to guide me gently as I desire to bear fruit that would glorify you, in Aiea, Hawaii, and throughout the world. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.