POST 20: Union with Christ
POST 20
Union with Christ
John 15:1–17 is one of my (Kristel’s) favorite passages of Scripture. Maybe it’s because I love plants, but I find the imagery of a vineyard to be beautiful. There is so much meaning behind these words from Jesus, but today I want to focus on one word in particular: abide.
Depending on which translation of the Bible you read, it may say abide, remain, or stay. Each of these words comes from the Greek word meno. I like to look up the meanings of the words in the original languages used in the Bible to help me understand what the writer was trying to convey.
Meno means “to continue to be present, to be held continually, to endure, to remain as one.”
When Jesus commands us to abide, what he’s really saying is to be present with him and allow him to hold us. At its core, this is what union with Christ means. We abide in Christ by faith, and he abides in us by his Spirit. We never have to fear that he will leave us because our union with Christ is forever.
God will always abide in us. God never turns away or forgets about us. God is always waiting for us to dwell in God’s presence. It’s in the presence of God that we can truly rest and be revived. It’s where we find our true identity—who God made us to be.
That doesn’t mean it’s all sunshine and rainbows.
Have you ever taken care of a plant? Sometimes leaves turn yellow and they have to be pruned. Sometimes the plant needs more water or less water or more sun or less sun—and the only way to figure out what the plant needs is to slow down and take time to pay attention to the plant.
Like the plant, there will be times when you need to be pruned or maybe even repotted entirely. There will be times when you will have to slow down and pay attention to what you need. There will be times when you’re not sure what’s even wrong, but you won’t have to figure it out alone.
Your union with Christ ensures that God is with you, guiding you, forming you, leading you, loving you. Union with Christ means that you are a new creation, powered by Christ’s resurrection, living in the kingdom of the Spirit, connected directly to God, the vineyard keeper—where you are always in good hands.
READING GOD’S WORD
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit. You are already trimmed because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me. (John 15:1–4)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in my body, I live by faith, indeed, by the faithfulness of God’s Son, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
Journaling Questions
What are different ways you can abide in Christ?
Is there anything that needs to be pruned in your life? What is it? What would it take to cut it out or to be free from it?
How might staying connected to Christ help you in the pruning and growing?
Pray This Prayer
God, you promise that if I remain in you, you will remain in me. I know you are always faithful in your promises. Help me to dwell in your presence and not in anything else. In Jesus’ name, amen.
SOMETHING TO TRY
Whether you have a green thumb or not, this week go to a local plant store or nursery to purchase a small plant. A sales associate may be able to help you pick out a plant that is suitable to your lifestyle (it’s okay if you need something that’s hard to kill!). Commit to caring for that plant, and use it as a spiritual practice to slow down and abide. As you care for the plant, allow God to care for you.
If this isn’t an option for you, take time to notice the plants and trees that grow outside. Watch how they grow, change, and develop over time.
THE TAKEAWAY
Union with Christ means that God is always abiding in you; you abide also in Christ.