I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. John 15:5
After you accept Christ and is forgiven, you receive the gift of eternal life, which centers on a personal relationship with Christ and includes the power of the Holy Spirit to sustain and develop that relationship. Given that power, you must then accept responsibility to stay spiritually connected to and dependent on Christ. The Greek word “meno” means to remain, continue or live. Just as the branch has life only as long as the vine’s life flows into it, so you as believer in Christ have true life only as long as Christ’s life flows into you through an active and vital relationship with him. The conditions which keep you connected to Christ include: spending time reading and studying God’s Word so that his truth gets into your minds and hearts and continually serves as a guide for your actions; maintaining a positive habit of prayer, which involves listening to Jesus and drawing strength from him; obeying his commands, which demonstrates true love for Christ and includes loving each other; and keeping our lives spiritually clean by remaining in God’s Word, resisting temptation and following the Holy Spirit’s direction.
Today’s Bible Readings:
Leviticus 11-12, Mark 5:21-43, Psalm 38:1-22 and Proverbs 10:8-9