John 15:4-Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. NKJV
Recently, I attended the 50th wedding anniversary of a couple in my church. I was excited when the save the date was sent to me, and later when the invitation arrived. I felt honored that they would want us to attend their special celebration and that we call them friends. However, as we have gotten older and have so many family and friends, we’re not always able to accept the many invitations that come to us. As I was thinking about a blog for today, I thought that even Jesus sends us invitations, and we have the option to accept or reject them.
The first invitation that Jesus sends to us is an invitation to come to Him!
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 NKJV
The most important invitation we can ever receive is from the Savior to us, to leave the world and come to Him. Jesus sends this invitation to those with heavy burdens and those who are weary of life as it is, and He promises to give them rest. I said yes to this invitation and I am sure that most of you reading my blog also said yes!
Jesus also invited the poor, the broken-hearted, the blind, the lame, children, and others whom the world rejects to come to Him. For centuries this invitation has been sent out, and countless individuals have accepted it, while many have rejected it! There is no one of greater importance who could invite us to celebrate with them. No one! Yet Jesus, the Son of God, extends this invitation as freely to us as He did when He walked the earth, knowing that some will reject Him.
But that’s not the only invitation that Jesus extends to us! Inside the invitation to come is another invitation from the Savior and that is an invitation to stay with Him. The invitation to come to Jesus is not just an invitation to come to Him and avoid eternal damnation, but an invitation to remain or stay in fellowship with Him.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me
John 15:4 NKJV
The invitation to abide in Christ is often an invitation that is missed by so many believers. Many Christians can attest to enjoying their lives in Christ when they first get saved. The sky seemed bluer, life was full of hope, the church was a wonderful place to attend, and any task asked of us was easy to complete. Then one day we looked up and the thrill was gone. What happened? Maybe the invitation to abide in Him went unnoticed!
Jesus cautioned us that if we didn’t abide in Him and allow Him to abide in us, we would be fruitless! So the life that once was full of promise and hope seems far away or unattainable because we are often guilty of forgetting to abide or continue in Him.
With this being the desire of Jesus that we abide in Him, why is it that so few people enjoy His abiding presence? It could be that some have allowed sin to keep them from abiding in Jesus. Others may have not realized how to abide in Jesus and therefore it escapes them. Whatever the reason given, few realize the joy of abiding in Christ.
Jesus clearly stated that if we are not abiding in Him, then we are not bearing fruit, comparing this relationship of abiding in Him to that of a vine and branches. If a branch is cut off the vine, it soon withers and dies without bearing fruit. If a branch stays connected to the vine, it bears fruit! Such is the case of the believer who doesn’t recognize the importance of His invitation to abide in Him. Abiding results in bearing fruit, and not abiding results in not bearing fruit.
“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
I think this point is the point! Without Jesus, we can do nothing of any lasting value in the kingdom of God. Many people believe in their programs, gifts, talents, or their good works; but things done without Jesus are nothing in comparison to what can be done with Him.
As we abide in Jesus, we have the pleasure of knowing that He abides in us. As this relationship is cultivated we find ourselves daily seeking to abide in Him, and our lives become more fruitful. As we seek to understand exactly what abiding in Christ means, let us remember His invitation and seriously consider our need to respond to it with a yes! Wonderful Jesus!
Wonderful Jesus! 