Abide or Die

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 does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 15:1–11

Abide or Die! Sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? Yet, it is exactly what Jesus was teaching His disciples. He told them, and by extension us, “apart from Me you can do nothing”. But what exactly does it mean to abide?

In our passage, Jesus makes this one statement that seems out of place, “Already you are clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Abide in Me and I in you.” What does being clean have to do with His chosen imagery of the vine and branches? Jesus is referencing the previous picture He gave them in the washing of their feet. The only way the disciples can abide in Him is if He first washes them clean. It is no different for us. If we do not see that we are dead men and women, walking in our unrighteousness (and self-righteousness), and if we cannot accept the free gift from God who sent His Son to die in our place, making us clean by His blood; we are not His. If we do not belong to God, we belong to Satan. There is no middle ground. Thinking we belong to ourselves is one of Satan’s greatest tricks of keeping us from turning to God. Yet, if we turn to God, desiring to be covered by the blood of Jesus alone which makes us clean, we are His; and if we are His, we will abide.

Abiding is a desire and a will that God produces in those who belong to Him, just as He did with many saints who came before us. By His grace directed toward us, His children, He will put in our lives whatever will bring us to the end of our own abilities, our own strength, our own limits of knowledge and understanding, so that we will turn and depend on Him alone. Then, we hold onto Him for life and sustenance, and He holds onto us so we cannot fall away and die.

Moses knew his desperate need of God in the desert when the Israelites turned against God, crafting something they could see to worship. Moses pleaded, “If your Presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.” (Exodus 33:15)

Joshua, who was at Moses’ side from the time of his youth, had seen the consequences of many who were faithful to the Lord and those who were not. He reminded the Israelites before his death, “but you shall cling to the LORD your God just as you have done to this day. For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, just as He promised you. Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God.” (Joshua 23:8-11)

Ruth, knowing there was life only with Naomi’s God, pleaded to go with Naomi back to Israel, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

We find Elijah, after courageously battling the prophets of Baal, terrified and hiding in a cave. He tells the Lord, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” (1 Kings 19:14)

King David, after sinning greatly against God and his fellow man cries out to the only One in whom he can take refuge,  

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,  
    and renew a right spirit within me.  
Cast me not away from Your presence,  
    and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.  
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,  
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.”  Psalm 51:10-12

The words of Peter also teach us what it means to abide. After Jesus proclaimed, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves,” many who could not understand turned away. Peter, however, replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69

Each of these sinners turned saints -- Moses, Joshua, Ruth, Elijah, David and Peter -- knew their utter dependence and need of Jesus. They knew what it was to abide in Him, for without Him they could do nothing.

If the men and women who came before us, human as we are, yet written into Scripture, were brought to the end of themselves so that they knew their need and found their strength and joy in the Lord alone, why do we want to run from Our Father’s work in us? What if instead of running for anything earthly that provides comfort to us, we hold our hands open to the Lord saying, “Help, please! This is beyond me. I need You.”

If the Lord does not enable us by His Spirit living in us who believe, we cannot choose to abide. Jesus used the example of a vine and branches. I understand His analogy because I have a wonderful fig tree, and if I can beat the birds and squirrels to the fruit, I get to enjoy sweet figs the size of my palm! I watch my tree carefully making sure it is not obscured from the sun and gets adequate water. I also watch for suckers. These are the small shoots that pop out from the ground or from lower down on an existing branch. Though they are green and eager, they are too small to produce figs, and they steal the nutrients from the fruit producing portion of the tree. When I cut them off, the fruiting branches begin to thrive and the fruit increases. The suckers do not choose their position on the tree any more than the fruiting branches, yet some produce fruit while the others are merely present.

Likewise, we do not choose God; He chooses us, sustains us, and causes us to yield the fruits of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). When we realize this, we gratefully submit to the work He is doing in us, and we lean into Him all the more. We abide.

Abide or die. There really is no third way.