Focal Passage: John 15:1-17
One of the most popular topics among believers is spiritual growth. It’s the subject of countless books and blogs, the theme of numerous conferences and events, and the aim of sermon series, church programs and small group studies.
According to Barna Research, 75 percent of Christian adults desire spiritual growth in their lives. This desire comes naturally for true believers who are being sanctified in Christ, and hopefully you’re among the many who want greater spiritual growth in your life today.
But even though the majority of believers long to grow spiritually, many have questions about how to get there. What are the keys for having a greater sense of God’s presence and comfort? How do we develop spiritual strength and wisdom and reorient our hearts towards God’s will? Where do we find the power to resist temptation and remain obedient to Christ?
While there are countless resources designed to answer these questions, there is one word that is more powerful than all the rest — abide. We find this word in John 15, where Jesus uses the verb “abide” nine times in eleven verses to describe the close connection believers must have with Him to experience spiritual growth — and understanding this word is essential for spiritual growth in any generation.
Terrell
After Jesus and the disciples left the upper room and began walking toward the Garden of Gethsemane, our Lord wanted to prepare them for how to remain faithful after He departed. He gave them a visual by saying, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Jesus used this memorable metaphor to indicate that just as a branch must be connected to a vine to receive nourishment and growth, so must His disciples always be connected to Him, where His very nature would flow into them and produce righteousness and spiritual life. So, how do believers who are already “clean” (John 15:3) through faith remain closely connected to Jesus and grow in godliness? Jesus mentions two responsibilities.
First, since the word “abide” is a verb, it indicates something we are responsible to do. In order to stay firmly connected to Jesus, believers must pursue what theologians call “the means of grace,” which are the practical means God has given us to draw near to Him and grow spiritually.
These spiritual disciplines include prayer, Bible study, worship, fellowship, communion, fasting, evangelism, removing sinful influences and other vital activities. Just as someone achieves good health by eating well and exercising, so believers will achieve spiritual growth when they practice these disciplines each day.
Second, Jesus mentions something that God is responsible to do. He says, “Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). For those connected to Jesus through faith, God has a way of pruning the fleshly elements out of our lives, which help us grow spiritually.
Such pruning involves fatherly discipline to correct our steps and trials to make us humble and more dependent. For believers, the pain God allows us to experience often leads us back to Jesus and greater spiritual growth. So, let’s abide in Christ and rejoice in the spiritual fruit that’s produced. Soli Deo Gloria! B&R
