John 15:4-5 Remain in Me #191

Last week I blogged about John 15:1-2, and this week I wanted to continue with John 15:4-5 which says, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 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 15:1-2 talks about the pruning process but I feel like the following verses prove why it is so important to read a whole passage and never just one verse. It’s the context that matters the most and without reading on to verses 3-5, we would miss a large part of what this passage is trying to say.

The purpose of the branch, me and you, is to bear fruit. But, you will not be able to produce any fruit unless you are connected to the true source, God. You need to stay connected to him at all times and in all seasons. You can bear your own fruit or even worldly fruit all day long, but the only fruit that matters is spiritual fruit, which comes from Christ.

It’s so easy as a Christian to strive after making things happen, however that isn’t what God intends for his children. You won’t be able to produce fruit by your own strength or your own abilities, but instead God wants to use you to bear his fruit. The key is bear his fruit, not bear your own fruit.

How can one remain in God? Stay connected to him in prayer, worship and study of his Word. Being a follower of Jesus is all about the relationship you have with him. The more time you spend with him, the more you will get to know him and the more you get to know him, the more you will produce spiritual fruit.

Remember, “apart from him you can do nothing.” But when you are in him? “You will bear much fruit.” 

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