Message of the Day: A Living and Fruitful Union with Christ
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NKJV)
In the Old Testament a vine symbolized Israel. Now that Israel has been set aside because of her rejection of Jesus, he and those united to him by faith become the new and true vine of God’s planting. Jesus is the whole vine, not just the stem, so that as branches those who believe in him are not merely connected to him; they are absorbed by him. The fruitbearing of branches represents obedience to Jesus’ commands.
In ourselves we have no life, strength or spiritual power. All that we have comes from Jesus Christ. If he is the vine, then we are the branches. This implies dependence, which means that we can bear spiritual fruit only as we are united in him. As we allow the Father to remove the hindrances of sin from our lives, we will bear even more fruit. A living union with Christ is absolutely necessary; without it there is nothing.
Sources:
NASB Study Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1999.
Gundry, Robert H. A Survey of the New Testament. Manila, Philippines: OMF Literature, Inc., 2002.
MySword for Android. Riversoft Ministry, 2011-2019.
Olive Tree Bible Software, 1998-2020.
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