Remain in Me

How many times I have read these words! But I've never truly
understood them - not fully. But lately, the Holy Spirit is causing
the scripture to be so alive in my heart, that I am eager to search
Jesus' words with these new eyes of mine!
In my ongoing study, the Lord opened up to me one more verse -
John 15:4 "Remain in Me and I will remain in you. No branch can
bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear
fruit unless you remain in Me."
"Remain in me" seems to be the key thought in this verse. What
does it mean to "remain" or "abide" in Jesus Christ? Is it simply a
matter of choosing not to turn my back on my faith? No. It's much
more than that.
"Abide" means "to journey, to be kept continually, in reference to time
- to continue to be, to last, to endure."
The word "endure" caught my attention as I remembered that those
who endure to the end will be saved. And indeed, the word is similar
in the original Greek. For "remain", the word is "meno". For "endure",
the word is "hupomeno". So I'm on the right track.
"Hupomeno" is another fascinating word in meaning. It means, "Under
misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Jesus Christ / to endure
bravely and calmly ill treatments."
And what does "saved" mean as used in Matthew 24:13 (those who endure
until the end, the same shall be saved). "Sozo" (saved) means "to rescue from
danger or destruction - to save from evils which obstruct the reception of the
Messianic deliverance."
Suddenly, "abide" took on new meaning. This picture of the vine and the branch
was a picture of true salvation - of being in Christ and remaining in Christ
until the end. "Abide" has true eternal meaning for the Christian.
Now I know that I must abide, remain, endure to the end. How must I, the
"branch", respond while abiding?
No branch can bear fruit by itself... The "branch" or "klema" is a tender and
flexible branch, a vine sprout. I must be tender and flexible as a branch. I must
be willing for the Lord to bend me when necessary. I must be willing to change,
to repent, to listen to His words and obey them. If I'm flexible, I'm a true branch.
When I considered the word "sprout", I had the thought of the sprout being the
same plant as the vine to which it is attached. It has the same DNA, the same
characteristics, the same purpose, the same physical appearance, bears the
same fruit. If that sprout was somehow detached from the vine, it would quickly
die, because all its life-source would be cut off.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me... Again, without the vine
our source of life is cut off. Life is in us only through the vine - Jesus Christ
(as we discovered in verses 1-3). If we are not attached to "life", "death" is
working within us.
A branch cannot bear fruit... Cannot is "dunamai", signifying the power of
the Holy Spirit in our lives being removed if we do not "abide". If we do not
abide, not only is there death produced in us, but we have no effectiveness,
no anointing as a Christian in this world.
And I will remain in you... When Jesus said this, He meant "in" you as a fixed,
unmoveable position within us. What a wonderful promise! He will never
leave us nor forsake us, as His word says!
My final thought is focused on the fruit we will bear when we remain in Him.
The fruit, or "karpos", means "to gather fruit into life eternal (as into a granary),
is used in figurative discourse of those who by their labors have fitted souls to
obtain eternal life."
I immediately asked the Lord what a "fitted soul" was. Our "souls" refer to our
mind, our will, our emotions - who we are humanly speaking. Our "fitted souls"
refers to the fruit we bear - the outward proof that we are His - the works we do
that prove our salvation - that we are a true branch attached to the Vine.
Our salvation is begun by faith in Jesus Christ. Our faith in Jesus Christ is
then proved to be real by the fruit we bear - our works prove that we are His.
Those who are bearing fruit have "fitted souls" - they "bear fruit".
Are you a true branch? Check to see that you are bearing eternal fruit....