Like me, I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘abiding in Christ’, and perhaps you have a vague idea of what it means, but you’re not entirely sure. It’s a term that’s used a lot, and honestly, I reckon a lot of people aren’t sure what it means. Today we find out what it truly means to abide in Christ and what it looks like to practically abide.
But before we dive in, let’s look at the context. The verses we’re looking at are in John 15. This chapter documents one of Jesus’ last conversations with His disciples before the crucifixion. In it, Jesus, fully knowing He was about to leave them, speaks about the importance of connection with Him using the imagery of the vine and says, ‘to abide in Him.’
What does abide mean?
The word abide means to stay, to dwell, to remain. In the context of abiding with Christ, it means to stay connected with Him. When Jesus asked us to abide with Him, He is asking us to maintain a relationship with Him like we would with anyone else by spending intentional time with Him.
Unfortunately, many Christians have confused activity with connection. It’s not about how much we do for Him; that makes it all about us when it’s all about Him. Abiding is about our heart posture toward Jesus. Is your heart turned toward Him?
To put it simply, abiding is to live in constant dependence on Jesus.
Why is abiding important?
The imagery in John 15 depicts the importance of abiding in Jesus.
“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.” John 15:5
In verse 1 of John 15, Jesus called Himself the true vine and His Father the gardener. In verse 5, He declares that we, His disciples, are the branches.
According to the Enduring Word Bible Commentary, the vine was a symbol of God’s people as well as a symbol of the Messiah. So if Jesus says He is the true vine, it is Him we must be rooted in.
The branch must be connected to the vine to survive; without the vine, the branch will die. Through this image, Jesus is saying we need constant connection and complete dependence on Him; we must be united with Him as branches are to the vine.
Just as the vine was used as a picture of Israel (a.k.a. God’s people), the Father has always been pictured as the One who manages and cultivates the vine.
All this tells us that we need to abide in Jesus, that life without Jesus serves no purpose and results in death. Abiding begins when we realise this. The imagery is vivid, and we have no choice but to confront the truth – abide with Jesus and live or become disconnected and die.
Without connection to the vine, to Christ, our efforts lack spiritual power, our good works don’t have eternal impact, and our lives lack true fruit. By fruit, I mean the fruit of character (Galatians 5:22-23) – love, joy, peace, etc. But it is also obedience (John 15:10) and our impact on others (Matthew 28:19).
“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” John 15:10
Fruit is the natural result of abiding with Jesus.
What if we don’t abide with Jesus?
Using the imagery of the vine and the branches, if we don’t abide with Christ and the branch is disconnected from the vine, the branch no longer has a life source and dries up. A branch drying up is the equivalent of a human without oxygen or blood. It’s no longer alive.
This can look like spiritual dryness, lack of passion for Jesus, constant anxiety and striving, feeling empty or distant. The frightening thing is this seems normal. Our tendency is to drift away from God and try to do life on our own terms. This is why Jesus emphasised the need to abide.
“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.” John 15:6
So we know to abide is about remaining connected to Jesus, and we need to make sure our heart posture is for Him and not against Him, but how do we live that practically?
Practically abiding in Jesus.
What does abiding mean in reality? To stay connected with Jesus means we come as we are to Him throughout the day, no matter if we’re feeling good or not. He wants us as we are, not as we want to be.
Abiding is not just reading the Word, but slowing down and sitting with it. Letting the words come to live in us and not merely pass through. We are to stay in His Word (John 15:7).
It is walking in obedience (John 15:10) and remaining in His love (John 15:19). We remain in His love by staying even when everything in us wants to leave. It is a choice to stay and keep reading the Word even when it feels dry and to keep praying even if we feel numb.
Abiding means trusting His love even when we can’t feel it because there will be days we don’t feel loved. We must return to the truth every day and remind ourselves that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:28-29).
It’s choosing intimacy over performance, knowing that doing more for Him isn’t the same as being closer to Him. Abiding is restful; He simply wants our presence.
“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 10:2
Abiding is allowing God to prune what is holding us back. It may be uncomfortable and perhaps even painful. But it is for our good and His glory that we endure the discomfort. The things God removes from us are often things we weren’t ready to let go of, but God uses them to prepare us for the future.
Not only must we stay connected with Jesus but also with other believers (Hebrews 10:25). We are to gather together with brothers and sisters in Christ and encourage each other as we walk closer to Him together. It is not an easy path, and Jesus does not want us to be alone. He set the example for us by gathering regularly with His disciples. He wants us in community.
To abide means praying regularly, to be steadfast in prayer (Colossians 4:2). The Bible says we should be unceasing and constant in our prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:7, Ephesians 6:18, Romans 12:12). Through honest and sincere prayer, we draw closer to Him as we speak truth and surrender everything to Him.
A good practice is to sit in His presence first thing in the morning. To quiet our thoughts, open our hands and embrace the moment, saying, “Lord, I need you. I am the branch, you are the vine. I cannot do this without you.” Then take a moment to just listen and be present, and carry that awareness throughout the day.
What’s the result of abiding?
The result is a deeper sense of peace. Anxiety ceases to hold us in its firm grip when we trust Him and keep turning to Him. We experience more joy and naturally produce fruit (John 15:8, 11). We begin to see more clearly the things that matter and can face the future without fear. With time, our lives begin to bear witness to the truth and power of God, which glorifies Him.
Choosing to abide in Jesus becomes easier when we realise we need Him for everything and He is always close to us, so turning to Him doesn’t seem so hard. But also, the knowledge that striving isn’t going to do anything but make us exhausted and burnt out. Striving may feel safe, but it doesn’t sustain life. Only Jesus does when we abide with Him.
But abiding doesn’t mean life becomes easy; it just means Jesus carries us through where before He was absent. We are strengthened when we are connected to Him; He works through our weakness.
Ultimately, abiding is not about us, but about placing ourselves where the life of the vine can flow through and when fruit grows, it will glorify the vine. Abiding is depending on Jesus constantly in all that we do.
If this encouraged you, consider subscribing, leaving a comment, or connecting with me on social media. I’d love to walk this journey of wholehearted faith alongside you.
Wholeheartedly Faithul 
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