Abide in
me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself,
The Parable of the Vine and Its Branches teaches that
Christianity cannot be reduced to a system of beliefs or ethics. The essence of
Christianity, rather, is entering into an intimate, spiritual union with God
through Jesus Christ, a union not unlike that of a vine and its branches.
The key to experiencing this union was summed up
by Jesus when he said:
unless it
abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
John 15:4
The Parable of the Vine and Its Branches teaches that
Christianity cannot be reduced to a system of beliefs or ethics. The essence of
Christianity, rather, is entering into an intimate, spiritual union with God
through Jesus Christ, a union not unlike that of a vine and its branches. 
The key to experiencing this union was summed up
by Jesus when he said:
Abide in me and I in you. What did he mean?
In The Message Eugene
Peterson translates the phrase as follows: Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. That’s what it means to abide in Christ. On the
one hand, it means to live your life every day in fellowship with Christ; to
orient every aspect and activity of your life to his presence and will.
On the other hand, to abide means to allow Christ
to make his home in you. We do this by exercising spiritual hospitality, that is,
by giving Christ access to our whole self – our thoughts, feelings, decisions, and relationships. When we are truly “at home” in Christ and he is “at home” in us we are living in a fruitful union with Christ.
by giving Christ access to our whole self – our thoughts, feelings, decisions, and relationships. When we are truly “at home” in Christ and he is “at home” in us we are living in a fruitful union with Christ.
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| Make your home in me just as I do in you. |
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