Taking Our Place In Him
There are many professing Christians that do not stay connected to Christ Jesus. They live their lives for themselves and are governed by their self life instead of their spirit and the Spirit of God. What should our relationship be to Christ Jesus, and how do we walk this relationship out?
Barna Group a research organization stated in an article written in 2019, that 64% of youth between the ages of 19-29 who grew up in church tell Barna that they have withdrawn from church involvement as an adult, when they were active as a youth or teen. (Barna Faith Generations Sep 4, 2019). 70% of high school students who are professing Christian’s, enter college and end up leaving with little or no faith. (Barna Jan 29, 2022). An estimated 3,500 people leave the church each day. (Barna Jun 19, 2015) This is a major problem in the faith. Why are people leaving the church in such high numbers?
Some professing Christians are doing Christianity their own way, some have never experienced a biblical church, hurts and fallouts have caused some to leave the church. Others are trying to shape the church around their wants and needs. (Loving the church: God’s people flourishing in God’s family. John Crotts 2010 Shepherd Press).
A large part of why people are leaving the church, is because they haven’t really developed a relationship with Christ Jesus. They may genuinely be saved, but they have not cultivated the relationship that Christ wants to have with them. Jesus made many powerful statements in the book of John chapter 15 about having a fruitful life, and it’s all based upon being connected to him. He used the analogy of being the true vine, the Father being the tender of the vine and the believer being the branch.
Jesus spoke of abiding in him. To abide means: to remain in, to tarry, to endure in, to stay in, to not depart, to continue to be present. The whole idea of abiding, is to endure and not be moved from your position. When Jesus called himself the vine, he was stating that he was the source of life, and that in order for the branch to be fruitful, it had to vitally remain attached to himself as the vine. Can you imagine being a branch of a vine and being detached and trying to bear fruit? That wouldn’t work would it? Jesus used strong words such as in verse 4 of John 15: “Abide in me and I in you, as the branch can not bear fruit of itself unless it abides or remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me.” The branch had to be vitally connected to the vine, in order to produce fruit. Another statement he made was: “I am the vine or source, you are the branches, he who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
A branch detached from the vine was worthless to the vine. It was only good for kindling wood. See verse 6 of John 15. The only way for a branch to produce the fruit that it was created to produce, was for it to be vitally connected to the vine. This speaks of our fellowship with Christ Jesus. We must be vitally connected to him in relationship, seeking and pursuing him daily. The best way to do that, is to establish a regular time to spend time in the scriptures and in prayer. These two practices, are paramount in developing a solid relationship with him. This is how we abide in him.
Another way to abide in Christ, is to take his commandments and obey them. John 15 verse 10. Obedience to Christ is proof of our love for him. We also experience his love through our obedience to him. John 14 verse 21 and 23. If we want to have a quality relationship with Christ Jesus, then we will have to develop a heart of obedience. This is how our character is formed in him, and character is the fruit that he seeks. We are to become more and more like him.
Connecting with Christ is the best thing that could ever happen to an individual. God wants to reveal himself to us in a very real and tangible way. Abiding in Christ, is how that happens. If we will invest the time and the effort to become connected to Christ, then we will be like that branch that bears much fruit.
