Remain in the Word

Fruit, More Fruit, Much Fruit...

Well here it is ...the verses that inspired this blog.... http//remainintheword.blogspot.com from    John 15:5-8: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain 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.

What is "remaining"? Remaining means: "stayingin a place" or "staying with someone".  To me remaining in God...is staying with Him in His Word and staying with Him in prayer.  It is not running ahead of Him...or being so busy we don't have time to be with Him.


The first time this text really got hold of me was when I read, "apart from me you can do nothing."  Wow...now that is a powerful warning!!!! It struck me that my life had added up to "nada" apart from Christ!  It was true.  I had spun my wheels so many times...living my life apart from God.


Then I went back...and read the first part of the verse, "If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit"  So if I stay hooked into God...I will be fruitful???  That's cool...what does it mean?  It means that I will bear fruit...heavenly fruit.(love,peace,patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness  and self-control) I will be fruitful in God's eyes. God will increasing make me more like Jesus.


Increasing fruit?  Go back and examine the text again...Notice this increasing fruit...starting with "no fruit" moving to "fruit that will last."
Verse 1:  No fruit
Verse 1: fruit
Verse 2: more fruit
verse 5: much fruit
verse 16:fruit that will last (eternal)  


Do I want my life to add up to "nothing" or do I want my life to be fruitful in God's eyes?  I made up my mind years ago...that my life was adding up to nothing...that is when I decided to surrender my life and follow Jesus.  I am fruitful in His eyes when I "remain" in Him.  I have fallen in love with Jesus by spending time with Him...    how about you?