Staying in The Place of Fruitfulness

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (John 15:4)

Jesus beckons us to ‘abide’, that is the stay in the place of constant relationship and drawing of His life. The continual drawing from the Eternal source will transform our individualism into unity and oneness with Christ, as He is with the Father. Not in loosing of our identity but rather the out working of our faith entirely resides within the confines of Father’s will and desire (John 5:19). In other words, we are not Holy Spirit helpers, but helped of the Holy Spirit. We become channels and conduits, not the inception. The cross that Jesus bore, any and all glory is directed Father-ward is also ours to bear.

‘Abide in me….’. On our behalf, this is total surrendering, an act of leaving and cleaving. In humility forsaking all other to abide only in Christ, this is the glorious position that is bestowed to His church. It is a place of sonship, authority, acceptance, victory and standing on grounds that have been won. It is a place of lifting up from the ash heaps and clothed with righteousness. It is a place of complete access, intercession and the experience of the joy of answered prayer. It is a place where worship is freely, spontaneously offered and received. As we stay in that place, there is preservation, protection, wholeness and shalom. Abiding in Christ delivers us from self-righteousness and clothed with His.

‘ and I in you…’.  On our behalf, this is a place of receiving the life to overcome and constancy in spirit. Without Christ ‘in us’, we will lack strength to realize the power of sonship. This is the place of God’s speaking into our spirit. This is the place where He has total freedom to work in us, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is a place of transformation from both the natural man who do out of self good and the old man who carries the propensity to sin. Christ abiding in us delivers us from legalism and the other extreme, licentiousness.

If there isn't any abiding, Christ have no part in us neither we in Him. Outside the abiding is fruitlessness. Fruitfulness is the evidence of a deep and intimate relationship.