John 15:4 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. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
This passage of scripture teaches us of the importance of abiding in Christ, a life or death matter that can result in the production of much spiritual fruit, or conversely, spiritual drought and apathy. Abiding in Christ means much more than just reading about Him in the Bible or any other religious book; it means studying His life and character daily with the intention of being conformed to what is studied, through the grace and power of The Holy Spirit. It means cooperating with God in the battle against sin and self, and being willing to be instructed and corrected by Him every step of the way. It also includes making good decisions that are in harmony with what we know to be truthful and right, for God never forces our consciences, and therefore anything that is done, must of necessity involve our freedom of choice.
Some of us sometimes suffer from spiritual fatigue because we stumble on one or more of the previous points, and since a chain is as strong as its weakest link, any deficiency that occurs in any of the main areas mentioned will result in stifling the production of fruit, and if left unattended can lead to stagnation, or even retrogression. Our connection with Christ is of the utmost importance, and there are many Christians who approach this matter in a way that makes the issue subservient to other interests, meaning that it is addressed and attended to only when we have extra time on our hands, after having done everything else that pertains to our temporal concerns.
This approach will end in miserable failure, for if Christ and His righteousness are not made the governing themes in our everyday lives, then we will serve Him only when it is convenient to do so, and this attitude will also infiltrate the entire spectrum of our religious life and experience, resulting in obedience that is rendered only when it is convenient to do so. After spending the best of our time studying His word, His life, and character, we should spend some time on our knees asking for grace so that what we read can be put into practice, and also so that we may have omnipotent power in time of need.
One of the reasons why we are sometimes overthrown by the darts of the enemy is because we failed to gain the victory over temptation before it presents itself, and when we wait for it to occur before we pray, our defenses are not in place to stave off the sudden onslaughts of satan, who prides himself on the element of surprise.
America has intricate air defenses in place at all times, so as to ward off any unforeseen attack by its foes, and as a general rule of thumb, the radar and other detecting devices are in operation twenty four hours, seven days of every week, including times at which we may be sleeping. Abiding in Christ involves the very same concept, for when Jesus is front, back, and center of our everyday experiences, our defenses which come from a knowledge of His word, and the indwelling of His Spirit, are in operation whether we are awake or at rest, and that's how no weapon that is formed against us can prosper.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reiterates the importance of abiding in Christ each day, and it is the will of God that we take the necessary steps so that this can be accomplished, and put in place on a consistent basis. Let's read:
Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
May we abide in Christ today and for the rest of our lives, for without Him nothing can be done in the production of good fruit. "Good night" and God bless!