Which vine are you attached to?

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. 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 15:4-5

Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. Back in the first century, much of the economy was agrarian, be it fruits, nuts, or vegetables. Christ Jesus uses these processes in Chapter 15 of the book of John to describe obedience.

Grape vines must be attached to the branches in order to bear fruit. Think if the vine was severed. Could that severed vine produce fruit on its own? Of course not. This is what we do when we disconnect, disobey, or allow distraction from His will, His plan, and His desire for us.

Sure, we can produce worldly fruit with performance, money, and materials, but we can’t impact or create the fruit of His kingdom without Him. In fact, we can do nothing without Him and is why all things are possible through Christ who strengthens me, (Phillipians 4:13).
When we abide, obey, and follow Christ Jesus, we are attached to Him, and He can then produce the spiritual fruit, the kingdom fruit, mentioned in John 15.

If you haven’t read John 15, I encourage you to do so. It is filled with both consequences of abiding and consequences of not abiding, as in John 15:6
“If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Obedience to something greater is not the simplest of tasks, but the rewards are great. In fact, these are not earthly rewards, but heavenly. I, for one, would like more heaven down here with me in my daily life. Wouldn’t you?

Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus