Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

Abide; to stay (in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy):- abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for).

In (en) strong’s G1722; A primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time, or state), i.e. A relation of rest; ‘in,’ at, on, by, etc. give self wholly to

To “bear” (phero) strong’s G5342; carry (literally and figuratively:-bring (forth); I conduct, lead; perhaps: I make publicly known.

The Lord is speaking with believers. He is addressing His followers, His disciples, to those who came to know him and believed in Him. He is not talking to pagans. What He is saying is that, you have a role to play. You have some responsibilities in your Christian walk. True believers and false believers bear fruits (Matthew 7:16, John 15:8, 16) according to the root. In order that you might bear fruits from His nature, the Lord is telling us, You are to “abide in Me” for “I am the Vine.” He is the source of life and everything we need in our Christian walk. We cannot do Christianity apart from Him. It is impossible. “The union then, and all that follows from it, is placed within the power of the human will” Ellicott.

“True believers find by experience, that any interruption in the exercise of their faith, causes holy affection to decline, their corruptions to revive, and their comfort to droop” Matthew Henry. The passages are here connected as cause and effect. The promise is, if the command of the first be observed, the second will not fail.

Matthew Poole writes, “Our abiding in Christ is expounded, by abiding in His words, John 15:7, by abiding in His love, John 15:10, an abiding in His Spirit, 1 John 2:27, a walking as Christ walked, 1 John 2:6, an abiding in the light, John 15:10, not sinning, 1 John 3:6.”

APPLICATION:

In order to bear fruits, we must remain attached to Christ by faith. We are to live in dependence on Him.