Abide in Christ

The last of the “I Am” statements (6 - Bread of Life; 9 - Light of the World; 10 - Door of the Sheepfold; Good Shepherd; 11 - Resurrection and the Life; 14 - the Way, the Truth, and the Life)

The Vine Protects Faithfulness (1-3)

Christ is the True Vine. There are many false vines that people seek to derive their life from. But only Christ is the source of life. He supports and supplies the branches.

The Vine dresser is the Father. He owns the vineyard. He prunes the branches. He tends to their care looking for fruit.

The Branches are us. We draw life from the Vine. We are cleansed by the Word.

Only those who are in Christ - that is in a relationship with Christ by faith in His substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection - will produce fruit.

The Vine Produces Fruitfulness (4-10)

The Imperative of the Vine is Discipleship

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

What does it mean to abide in Christ?

Abide in His Word - Keep His commandment.

The command is to keep - terero - to conform ones actions to something. Remain.

A Disciple continues in the things which he has been taught. The Imperative of the Vine is discipleship.

Continue in the doctrine of Christ!

2 John 8–9 NKJV

Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

Abide in His Love

1 John 4:16 ESV

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Do you spend time each day with the Lord?

The Vine Promises Joyful Fellowship (11-17)

The Invitation of the Vine is Relationship

The source of our relationship is God’s love for us.

There is the joy of knowing His love for us in that He gave himself for us. “No one ever cared for me like Jesus! There’s no other friend so kind as He! No one else could take my sin and sadness from me! Oh, how much he cares for me!”

There is joy in the knowledge that he sought us out - “You did not choose Me, I chose you...”

There is joy in His purpose that we bear lasting fruit.

The practice of our relationship is demonstrated in our love for others.