Question description

I was reading John 15:4–5.

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.

 And I cannot help, but begin to wonder what Jesus Christ was actually referring to by this verse. Was he saying by abiding in Him, we will be successful in all we do automatically even without working so hard as everyone is doing now to earn money? 

Another option that manifested in my mind is whether Jesus Christ is referring to us receiving the power to make disciples for Him and His Kingdom.

A better understanding of this verse would be great. Thank you in advance.

Answer description

This is a difficult passage in that we are asked to walk a fine line between doing God's will and seeking what we desire most.

The key is understanding the meaning behind the word "abide". I think the confusion comes when we read a little further in the passage to verse seven, which says, that if we abide in Him (Jesus) and He abides in us, we can ask whatever we wish and it will be done for you. This sounds like we are told that God is merely a vending machine for our wishes and many Christians abuse this verse in that way. But this should again draw us back to what God intends by the word "abide".

In verses 4-5 that you ask about, Jesus is described as the vine and the branches (believing Christians) are firmly connected to that vine. So if we imagine a tree or in this case a vine, we understand that the only life that comes to the branches is from the vine itself. And the more closely we are connected to that vine the greater fruit we can produce. But it is the vine's fruit, not our fruit, separate from the vine.

If we think of fruit as it is described in Gal 5:22-23, we can get an idea of what God's fruit looks like. And I believe we can draw two conclusions from this. First, the divine fruit of Gal 5:22-23 ( love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc) are only impactful when we are doing them for God's glory. Because the power of the Spirit is with us. Second, God created each of us differently, thus the fruit He has designed for us to grow will be different for every person. Thus the gifts of the Spirit He gives each of us (I Cor 12:8-10).

Different gifts, thus different fruit. But as soon as our focus drifts from the vine toward our desires or feelings, we lose our firm connection with the vine, and any "good" we may do loses its effectiveness because it is no longer God's fruit. But as we abide in the vine by prayer, Bible study, and Christian fellowship, we can produce greater fruit for the Lord. But it is ALWAYS for His glory and never our own.

So in answer to your two questions, I don't believe the abiding is ever for wealth or fame or recognition, though Christ does have the power to provide those blessings for some individuals. And to the second question, yes, sharing the Gospel and making disciples could be part of the fruit you might produce. But all of what your fruit will be is part of God's plan for your life and that only becomes clearer as you abide firmly in Him.

I hope that gives you a better insight into what this passage hopes to convey.

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