Abide In Christ
By Wil Addison
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.” (John 15:1-2, 4-5, 7-9 NASB1995)
God desires intimate relationship with us as believers. He desires to speak to us, lead us and guide us. We arrive at this place of intimacy with God through abiding in Christ. Far too often we operate in this life in our own strength, not realizing all that we are and ever will be able to do rests on Christ living through us. When we truly acknowledge that our very lives come from being connected to Christ, we cease from the strivings and anxieties that result not trusting in Him.
In the 15th chapter of John, Jesus Himself gave us a vivid picture what life in Christ is. Our very existence and worth are found in our connection to the Vine. The life of Christ flows into believers as the branches to bear the fruit of the Vine. Whenever we find ourselves stuck in our Christian walk, we need only to ask whether or not we are actually abiding in the Vine.
“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” (1 John 5:14-15 NASB1995)
The confident prayer described in this passage flows out of our abiding in Christ. One may ask how is it possible that we could “have the request which we have asked from Him”? The answer is that, as we continually abide in Him, what we ask of Him increasingly aligns with His will. Our desires become His desires.
Let’s make a habit of daily abiding in the Vine (Jesus Christ), enjoying the blessings of knowing He hears our prayers and grants our requests as they reflect His will.
Wil Addison is a New Orleans native with over 25 years of ministry service. Wil has served as a missionary and missionary evangelist to America’s colleges and universities. He was a nationally appointed home missionary for six years. As associate pastor in Lafayette, LA, Wil’s focus was discipleship and prayer. After accepting a position with American Family Association in 2008, Wil served at the ministry for 15 years in various capacities; from Director of Urban Family Communications, Director of Special Initiatives and Director of the Marriage Family Life Conference – a conference birthed from his heart for discipleship and equipping Christian families. Today, Wil’s focus is homeschooling his six children and stewarding Straight Edge Ministries and Culture Proof. He can be heard via podcast on the Culture Proof Podcast. On their podcast, the Addison’s observe cultural trends and explore their effects on the foundation of Biblical morality. Together the couple offers insights on culture, popular trends, and current events that threaten the integrity of the Christian faith and the proliferation of the gospel. With the highest esteem for the local Church, Wil serves as an elder in the fellowship he is helping to plant in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Featured Image by Midjourney AI, prompted by Netha Hussain, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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