Dear Confused One,

Abiding in Christ is abiding in Jesus. This is a question that all believers need to understand so I will try to bring a simple but clear answer to your question. To understand the biblical meaning of something, we must look at our manual for success (the Bible). 

Jesus is teaching in John 15:5: I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Jesus refers to Himself as a vine and to us as the branches. It’s really a beautiful picture of a vine with its many branches. See how close they are. A branch can only grow and produce fruit when attached to the vine. 

The word ABIDE in this verse means to stay in a given place, relation, expectancy, continue, dwell, endure, be present, or remain. I like to look at it like a strong band aid stuck on our arm and very hard to get off! That is abiding in something or someone. In this scripture, it is Christ, our Messiah! 

We all abide in something and some of those things we stick to so strongly need to be pruned away from us or cut off so that we can abide or stick to the ONLY One who can cause us to bring forth fruit in our lives. 

That is the picture Jesus is showing us. He also shows us how to know if someone is abiding in Jesus and His biblical truth or if the person is half in the world bearing worldly truth. Jesus says in Matthew 7:20: Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Jesus is a fruit inspector and we should be also. 

The key word is “IF.” When we abide in Christ or stick close like a branch to its vine, we will live our life from our only manual for success, THE BIBLE; then others will see His truth living through us! The fruit of righteousness or right-wise-ness!

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7