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.
John 15:4
Abiding in Christ consists of both a status and a practice.
The status of abiding is the present reality of every believer. John makes this clear in his epistle:
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit
1 John 4.10
This present reality is sure for every Christian through the Spirit.
In addition to our status of abiding in Christ, we are also commanded to make it our daily practice. Abiding in Christ means that we are daily coming to him with every burden and looking to him for every blessing. Nothing else in this world is strong enough to take my burdens. Nowhere else in this world can I find the blessings that are mine in Christ.
John Owen states this beautifully in his book, Communion with God:
“Christ has all sufficiency in himself to be to the soul all that the soul desires. Is the soul dead? Christ is its life. Is the soul weak? Christ is its strength. Is the soul ignorant? Christ is its wisdom. Is the soul guilty? Christ is its righteousness and justification. Many poor creatures are aware of their needs, but do not know where to find the remedy. Indeed, whether it be life or light, power or joy, all is wrapped up in Christ.”
There is only one true vine. Christ alone is our one true source of sustenance and fruitfulness. Trying to find those things anywhere else will leave us feeling like we’re at 1% battery.
Abide in Christ.
“We are too needy to be satisfied by a mere creature”
– John Owen