“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. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5 ESV). We, the branches, have a living connection to Christ the Vine. Without it we are deadwood. This is a continuing organic relationship of reliance on our Lord for what we do and even the life that we have. The Vine is the source of daily grace. We are to bear Christlike fruit. The branch can only bring the fruit that is in the Vine. The fruit looks like Jesus. It is redemptive love at its core.
