Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
John 15:4 (NIV)

The whole of the Christian life is found in this verse. In order to live the Christian life, we must understand that it is not about the teachings of Jesus, or following precepts or commands. It is about binding ourselves in a relationship with Him that has the same bond as the Father and Son have.

Even though we talk about a relationship with Jesus, our actions make our relationship more "priests to God" than the intimacy of closest friends. When Jesus says, "remain in me as I remain in you," He is speaking about a union that few Christians grasp. This union from His perspective is like the autonomic nervous system that runs all of our vital organs on autopilot. On the other hand, we “remaining” in Him is finding complete rest in who He is and what He has done and is doing within our lives.

He finishes the thought with a warning. "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.” Anytime we find ourselves leading our own lives instead of living in Christ, we shrivel like a broken branch. Over the years, I have seen many people's faith wither. When I ask them about their private times with the Lord, they are usually non-existent. They had stopped remaining in Him and had expected to bear fruit.

There are seasons in our faith when we are pursuing the Lord but are not perceiving that we are bearing fruit. That's called Winter. We don't look for fruitfulness in that season. We continue to rest and press through as Spring follows.

The good news is that even if we have found ourselves separated from Jesus for a time, the Father is always able to re-graft you back into the Vine. We simply ask and He will take care of it.

Love, Pastor Stuart