John 15:4-5

John 15:4-5

⁴ 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.

⁵ “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.

To remain in Christ is to be in a relationship with Him.  A relationship that is active, intentional and growing.  Jesus uses the metaphor of a grape vine and its branches to illustrate this relationship.  The vine trunk is Jesus, we are the branches.  Obviously from nature we can see this and know that it is true. As long as the branch stays connected to the vine it lives and bears fruit.   However if the branch becomes severed from the vine it dies and bears no fruit and can do nothing.  The branch must stay connected to the vine.  It must receive the nutrients and life from the vine or it will be able to do nothing.  Something I was thinking about even was if the branch gets damaged or even partially cut it till stop producing fruit and eventually die and          be unable to do anything.  I want to stay connected to the vine, I want to have a relationship with Christ that is alive, intentional and growing.  But sometimes my actions say otherwise.  Sometimes my actions damage the branch.  I am thankful that God the Father "the vine dresser" or care taker sees fit to forgive and restore me and let me produce fruit once again.  God you are good and your love endures forever.