Simply Abide

I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

If we could simplify the Christian life down to one thing what would it be? We can talk about salvation through faith alone or faith is dead without works but the simple matter of it all is we can not bear fruit or good works without abiding in Christ. This is what Jesus said, "abide in me and I will abide in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me" (John 15:4).

On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:22-23)

You can't be a person who does good works unless you are in the Vine, Christ. In other words, no matter how many good works you do, even amazingly Jesus mentions casting out demons, without him knowing you, without being connected to the Vine, you exist of lawlessness. If Jesus is the vine that produces grapes and you are connected to the vine you will produce grapes. You will be known by your fruit. How do we become connected to the Vine? We "once walked according to the age of this world, according to the spirit that presently [is] effective in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once conducted our lives in the desires of our flesh, doing the will and thoughts of the flesh and by nature children of wrath, also like as the rest. But God rich in mercy through His great love which he loved us and we being dead, of trespass, made us alive, of Christ, grace existing saved." (Ephesians 2:1-5) We were made alive in Christ, as Jesus said you must be born a new. Ephesians 1 mentions the spiritual blessings we have received "in him," in Christ.

if any not abiding in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; men gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. (John 15:6)

It is important to understand that our sanctification or obedience or bearing fruit is as assured as our justification. We are not called and prepared to walk in good works out of fear, for the one who fears has not been perfected in agape love (1 John 4:18). Fear of losing my salvation should not be my motivation. Nor should I live to a debtor's ethic, giving because Christ did so much for me thus I owe him and try to pay him back. Some people believe that a person can lose one's salvation. If we say the one continuing in sin will eventually become like a branch and be broken off where do you draw the line of going too far? I heard someone define blasphemy as speaking against God, and said it was equivalent to the grieving of the Holy Spirit by living in sin, thus this person would lose their salvation. But Paul writes he delighted inwardly in the laws of God, but he kept doing the things he hated (Romans 7:15). Where do you draw the line on when and what sin could cause someone to lose their salvation? 

if any not abiding in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; men gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. (John 15:6)

Is Jesus is saying in this verse one can lose their salvation? Or is Jesus saying the ones not knowing him are not connected to him thus do not abide in him and will be thrown in the fire? Can someone be connected to the vine but if they do not remain they will be cut off? In the new covenant the natural Jew who did not believe in Jesus the Messiah were removed, they became like branches broken off, and the Gentile who believed were like branches grafted in (Romans 11:17-32). So the natural Jew who believed remained in the Vine, the others were broken off. "For if you were cut off from that, according to nature a wild olive tree, and grafted in from your nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more those that according to nature grafted into their own olive tree?" (Romans 11:24) It is important in respect to growth to abide in Christ, fruit will come from abiding. But one must be connected to the Vine. Abiding has the idea of both being connected and remaining. Is my remaining in the Vine or sanctification sure as my connecting, my justification? 

for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Jesus said, "this is the will of him who sent me, so that all whom he has given me, I lose not one, but raise them up at the last day" (John 6:39). The Father gives the sheep to Jesus, only those granted and drawn by the Spirit can come to Jesus, and of those who come it is the will of the Father to lose none. To those called and proven to be his disciples, he says he will be with them to the end of the days. This implies God is working according to his purpose that we do according to his will. "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires" (Romans 9:18). "Rather you do not believe because are not of part of my flock, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me just as I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them from my hand" (John 10:26-28). Is it the one who loves God or the ones loved of God that he is working out all things for their good? (Romans 8:28) We love him because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). 

"The promise is for you and your children and the ones far off, as many the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:38-39)

The promise belongs to as many as God calls to himself. God predestined us for adoption as His own, and the Holy Spirit is a pledge of that inheritance (Ephesians 1:5, 13-14). Predestination is through foreknowledge (Romans 8:29). What is foreknowledge? He chose us in himself before he created the world (Ephesians 1:4). Those he chose he predestined through foreknowledge. Jesus said, “for many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). Now, Paul writes those he chose he predestined and those he predestined he called (Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 8:30). And more, those he called he justifies, and those he justifies he glorifies (Romans 8:30). Justification is by grace through redemption, through his blood, through faith (Romans 3:24; Romans 5:9; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7). In Hebrews, we read the reason Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant is so "the ones called receive the promised eternal inheritance.." (Hebrews 9:15). 

Paul writes that we were appointed unto eternal life.* This doesn't do away with holiness but reinforces it, that those he chooses he glorifies, those called according to his purpose, he is working out all things for their good, predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus. (Romans 28-29). And it is great encouragement that we have received a Spirit of adoption, called His children,  and that the ones he loves he disciplines so to share in his holiness.* "How great will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve a living God" (Hebrews 9:13). God has purposed in Christ, you being chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, to be conformed to the image of Christ, who reflects the radiance of the glory of God and his exact nature. On the matter of losing salvation, if you think about it as a gift, by grace through faith, and the Holy Spirit is a pledge of my inheritance and I am justified by the blood of Jesus it is based upon something greater than myself, God's decisive work that brings about my willing participation. 

‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? stubbornly you kick against the goads.’ (Acts 26:14)

A goad was a sharp-pointed item used to prod along a stubborn mule or oxen. We don't see the whole life of Jonah, just the stubborn part, If we could I think we would possibly have seen something like Elijah, who after having done great works of God, got discouraged and ran away. The "Prodigal Son" was a son, he had to come to his senses, finding that life without the Father was just pig slop. Peter denied Christ three times, which would be blasphemy according to the definition of some, a turning back after putting his hand to the plow, or apostasy, a falling away. But Jesus said Peter would be sifted by the devil and when he returned, not if but when he returned, he would strengthen the brethren. I think because God fore knows he would not have chosen us to begin with and he is still faithful during our stubbornness. It is a word of encouragement as His children, He disciplines those he loves.

If anyone doesn't abide in me, like as a branch thrown away that also withers and men gather them and throw them into the fire also [to be] burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15:6-8).

Jesus is the word of Life, his words exist eternal life, thus to abide is life and the Spirit of Life teaches us to abide in him.* If we want to be a disciple of Jesus, glorify God, do good works in his name, and have confidence, blameless in His presence on the day of Christ then it starts and ends with abiding. Simply, if we want to bear fruit that glorifies God, then we must abide in the Vine. Even the answering of our prayers is connected to abiding. Think of this, that the bearing of fruit can only be accomplished if we abide in the Vine. Does this include the fruit of the Spirit; of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..? I need faithfulness, abide. I need self-control, abide. I want to be gentle and love others; abide. I want to have joy and peace; abide. I want to do good and endure suffering; abide. John writes the one born of God will overcome the world if the word of God abides in him (1 John 2:12-14; 1 John 5:1-4). Does John connect the fruit of obedience to abiding? 

It starts by being a child of God, connected to the Vine, born of God thus having the One within us who is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4; 1 John 3:9; 1 Corinthians 15:57). We remain or continue to abide, growing in the knowledge of Him, abiding in his words, overcoming, experiencing life in the Vine. It is so simple, but so hard, because the mind of the flesh doesn't want to (and evil wars against our souls to deceive us into thinking satisfaction is in the desires of the flesh) we will think of a hundred things to do instead of abiding. If the fruit that glorifies God comes from abiding in Jesus then what becomes of our good works of evangelism, outreach and missions, giving... without abiding? So let us bear fruit that glorifies God by abiding in the Vine. And how dangerous is it to think my works alone will glorify God? "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."