Based on John 15:1-8 (New King James Version)
“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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 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. 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. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
First of all, my prayer is that this would be taken in a constructive manner, without liberal ideologies, nor with a religious mindset, but rather, just as it is written, how the Lord said it. Because the great problem that we have today is that much of what the Bible says has been distorted to accommodate literally a lack of zeal and responsibility, putting our relationship with God as something that is guided by licentiousness than by the true liberty the Bible teaches. The point is simple: to be able to get to God’s promises, we must abide in the Lord, and we need to abide until the end of our days, until our last breath. So then, things are not as simple as some doctrines paint them.
To start, when we surrender our life to the Lord (truly), by repenting and converting from all of our sins, and when accepting Jesus as the Lord of our lives, the Lord explained this as being born again, or in other words, it’s just the beginning. The Lord does come into our lives in that decisive moment. Now then, many argue that if the Lord is inside of you, then you have nothing to worry about, and that no matter what you do, you will get to the goal, and here is where the problem emerges. In a certain way, that is true, but also, we can never discount the following: free will never ends, God will not force anyone, and that when you entrust a great treasure to someone, you are also giving them a great responsibility. If you teach someone that they have nothing to worry about, then a feeling of irresponsibility, of fickleness, of lack of fear, and of licentiousness (not freedom) is being fostered. In summary, the cross of Christ is not being given the importance it merits. In the end, a relationship with the Almighty is treated just like marriage is treated today.
To explain the parallel (because the Lord compares our relationship with Him like that of marriage, the highest and most intimate relationship that a man and a woman can ever have), marriage is not given any kind of importance today. Many enter marriage with very irresponsible and liberal ideas, and it is carried out in a very liberal manner, thinking that this is what love is about, and that is not the case. That’s why we have the failures we have today, and even within the children of God. Love carries within itself a great level of responsibility. So, it’s not about feeling butterflies in the stomach, nor that the only thing that matters is the physical relationship (so we don’t enter into graphic terms), and even far less, it does not consist of how much I can take from the other person, or how the other person can serve me. This is not the type of marriage that the Lord envisioned; without question. But unfortunately, these are things that happen daily, and with many people. And to add even more misfortune, the so-called children or people of God are the greatest offenders. And the only reason that the percentage of divorce has decreased a little (but it’s still hanging strong at around 50% in the US) is because many just live together, instead of getting married, and that too is sin. Marriages fail simply because one of the two people (or both) did not understand well what they were getting themselves into, and also, because either one or neither person understood how to keep a marriage working. And this is what also occurs with many people as they enter into a relationship with the Lord, and also, the way they intend to keep their relationship with God (if they even try to maintain it). Are we understanding the problem?
Today’s passage is quite clear and direct: we need to abide in the Lord. If the affair is taken seriously, then it will be given the appropriate importance when starting. The Lord didn’t tell His disciples: Follow me so that I can fulfill all your desires, so that you can live the good life, doing however you please. This is what the Lord said: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.’” Matthew 16:24-25. A person needs to understand, that to start, they are giving their lives to the Lord. This means that they will belong to Him, that they are no longer in charge, and that they are doing it voluntarily. The word “Lord” means something. If you just take the Lord as Savior, and nothing else, then you are only looking for the benefit of salvation, and you are not looking to belong to the Lord, and even far less, to obey Him. So then, if it’s like that, does a relationship truly exist? Is God really there?
This is what the Word of God teaches: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2. This is a race, and it is the most difficult race a human can run because it has to do with the greatest war that can ever exist, the war with oneself. The devil is not the greatest enemy we have. Our worst enemy is within ourselves, the sin that still dwells within our members, and that is what the devil tries to appeal to. That is the weakness. That’s why the Lord never sinned, despite Satan’s continuous attacks (because he even tried to tempt while hanging on the cross, when he said: “…you who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”).
In the end, this is what we need to keep in our heart and in our mind, as we continue abiding in the Lord: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:7-8. So then, are you abiding in Jesus, by loving Him and producing the fruit that God desires from you? Lord bless! John