Abide to Spiritually Grow

God desires to see growth from all of his creation. Consider how He created plants to grow, bloom, and bear fruit. They need sunlight, moisture, and nourishing soil. For believers to grow and bear spiritual fruit, it is important that we understand the principles God has laid out in His Word. True life only comes through salvation in Jesus Christ, and by abiding in Him we grow and bear fruit.

Jesus described the relationship between abiding and bearing fruit in John 15. He used an analogy, describing Himself as the vine, and believers as the branches, in order to explain how to bear fruit. As unbelievers, we lived in opposition to God and were unable to bear fruit for Him. Only by God’s grace in salvation have we become branches attached to Christ the vine. Now we can grow and bear much fruit for Him as the Holy Spirit works to conform us to His image. The recognition of our new identity and status is the first step in our spiritual growth and fruitful life.

1. Attached to the Source of Eternal Life.

Everything you and I need to bear fruit is found in Jesus Christ. He said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4). Abiding in Christ is not a one-time experience, but a continual way of life. He is the inexhaustible source of life that enables us to grow spiritually. A branch cannot bear fruit on its own apart from the vine. Only when it is firmly attached does it receive a steady supply of nutrients needed for growth. To abide in Jesus is to acknowledge Him as Lord, to put His will at the forefront of our lives, to surrender ourselves completely to Him. Then the Lord, the source of life, brings forth fruit. We no longer live to fulfill our own will, but God’s. His thoughts become our thoughts, His vision becomes our vision, and His power becomes our power, enabling us to flourish.

2. Fed by the Words of Life.

The Bible tells us we do not live by bread alone, but by the Word of God. The Lord said that if His Word abides in us, we will bear fruit. “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). The psalmist said that the man who meditates on the law day and night will be blessed like a tree planted by a stream that bears fruit in season. To grow spiritually, we must read and meditate on the Word of God, let it rule over our lives, and submit to it. As God’s Word permeates our hearts and minds, the Spirit of God will give the growth (1 Cor. 3:6-7).

3. Empowered for Fruitful Living.

Spiritual fruit is produced by the power of the Lord Jesus. His strength as the vine sustains the life of the branches and causes them to bear fruit. Yet, Jesus says there is something each branch can do. He said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). We, the branches, are to pray to God according to His will and the resulting fruit will be God’s answers to our prayer. Our prayer is a sign of our total dependence upon God. When we pray for His will to be done in our lives, He will cause us to live fruitful lives.

4. Living a Life of Love.

Not only are we told to bear much fruit, but we are also commanded to remain in the love of Jesus. He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:9). When we abide in Christ, He also abides in us and His love becomes ours—an unconditional love that motivates obedience to God and a willingness to lay down our lives for others. As the love of Jesus flows from us, it bears the fruit of a love for all people.

Our spiritual growth is only possible in Christ Jesus. Apart from Him, we cannot bear fruit. To abide in Christ we must be attached to the source of life—Jesus the vine. As we remain in Him and feed on the Word of God to permeate our hearts and minds, God will give growth. He will empower us for fruitful living as we pray according to His will and fill us with His love for the peoples of the world. Such is the fruit that will come when we abide in Him and He in us.