What does it mean to abide in Christ?

If a branch is cut off from the tree, it must be fruitless; in the same way, if a believer does not abide in Christ, and is spiritually disconnected from Him, he will bear no fruit... What abiding in Him means may be gathered from the comparison He uses. A branch is completely dependent on the vine, and lives by the vine's life. It is the sap flowing out from the vine into the branch that causes it to bear fruit. So too a believer is fruitful when he keeps up entire dependence upon Christ, and when he is living by His life, when Christ in him, as his life, flows out through him in his daily walk.

"Abide in me, and I in you." Here He always puts man's part first, because it is a question, as we have seen, of responsibility... All turns on dependence on Him who always abides the same yesterday, today, and forever. So the reality of God's work in the soul proves itself, so to speak, by continual looking and clinging to Christ. In verse 4 it is not, "Unless I abide in you," but, "Unless you abide in me."

To abide in Him, then, means not only the practical surrender of our wills, and distrust of ourselves, but clinging to Him in love, depending upon Him in our weakness, and communion with Him in His thoughts as made known in His word.

To walk, then, in the awareness that He listens to our words; that He sees our every act; that He reads our thoughts, is to walk under the blessed influence of His presence and so abide in Him.

Here, however, it is the larger subject — how all-important it is that Christ's words abide in us: "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you." There is first the person, then the expression of His mind. Prayer follows: "Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." Prayer does not come first (it should not take the place either of Christ or of intelligence in His mind), but Christ Himself is the prime object; then His words, forming the heart fully according to His thoughts and will; and lastly the going out of the heart to the Father.

Any little display of the graces of Christ goes up as fruit to the Father, and goes out as testimony to the world. This, then, is the great purpose for which we are left in this dark world: to shine as lights by showing something of the beautiful character of Christ. This will only be possible as we abide in Christ. We shall never display the character of Christ by simply trying to be like Christ. If, however, we seek His company, and come under His influence by abiding in Him, we shall be changed into His image from glory to glory.

The word "abide" involves permanence of dwelling, the life of the vine flowing into the branches. It is by faith that one abides, and this is true in a vital way of all true believers: they abide in Him. Yet they are still told to abide, that is, to be in daily practice what they are in principle.

First there is the sense of your need of Him; when you have this you will cling to Him instinctively, as a baby clings to its mother. But you will also cling to Him intelligently as you grow in the knowledge of His resources... You will abide in Him habitually when you know His love as greater than every other love, and Himself better than the brightest and best here below. The secret of constantly abiding in Him is simply the knowledge of His love.