The Bible teaches us to abide in Jesus, which means to stay in a relationship with Him. Our connection to God is like a baby’s umbilical cord to the mother from which life and nutrients come. As the baby grows within the mother, it is a close relationship. The mother’s womb protects, and nurtures the baby.
When we place our faith in Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us. Like a mother and a child, this is a close relationship as the Lord is always with us in a way that is supernatural and beyond our understanding. 1 John 4:13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.[1]
Living in Him
When people become believers, they receive the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s presence in their lives proves they belong to Him. Since the resurrection, all who believe in Jesus have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them.
Romans 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” [2] To have the Holy Spirit is to be filled with love, a fantastic gift the Lord gives every child of God. As believers, our lives are forever connected to the Lord, resulting in a fruitful life.
Jesus is the Vine: We are the Branches
John gives us insight into the importance of our connection to Jesus in his Gospel. Jesus is responsible for any fruitfulness we may have. John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. [3]
There is no bridge to heaven for those who do not want to be connected to Jesus when they die. In John 14:6, Jesus calls Himself the way because he is the only way to heaven. The Lord has a plan for our lives, which includes being fruitful. For His children to be productive, it takes the Lord’s intervention and even pruning us so we will become more fruitful.
Perhaps you have or are experiencing God’s pruning. Sometimes when we are so close to the pruning, we don’t think it is necessary because it can be painful. There have been times when I was headed in the wrong direction until God pruned part of my life away. Only in hindsight was I thankful for what He had done. God prunes us because He loves us, and pruning allows us to abide with Him more deeply.
To learn how to abide in Jesus, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/jesus-love
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.