“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
By nature, we all seek independence. We crave it! We can’t wait to crawl, walk, and run. We want to be in control of our lives, and independence is the key that unlocks that door. However, God has made it impossible for us to live independently of Him, “for in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). We were made by God, formed for the glory of God, and we are totally dependent upon Him for everything. Our next heartbeat is totally in His hands. He is “the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways” (Daniel 5:23 NKJV).
The word “remains” in John 15:5 means that we believe Jesus is the Son of God, have received Him as our Lord and Savior, live in accordance to His will, and live totally dependent upon Him for everything. While the NIV renders the Greek meno as “remains,” several other English translations offer “abides” — that is, to remain united with Jesus. We are to lean on Jesus, learn from Jesus, and live for Jesus, not in our strength but in His. We are to rely on Him and rest in Him. If we do that, our lives will be fruitful and fulfilling. As John 15:5 asserts, apart from Jesus we can do nothing.
When we try to live independent lives, we forfeit the joy, happiness, and peace that our Lord has promised to us. Why? Because when God created mankind, He did it in such a way that it would be impossible for us to find true joy, true happiness, and true peace in anything smaller than Jesus. And we all know what it feels like when we try to do that, because we all have tried and experienced varying degrees of failure, ranging from “dismal” to “catastrophic.”
What best describes the way you are living your life today? Are you living in independence or dependence? Are you living as if everything depends on you or on God?
Dependence on God is a good thing. He has promised to be with us every step of the way through this life and the next and to meet our every need along the way. Let that truth set you free to be all God is calling you to be by remaining in Jesus and depending on Him for everything you want out of life, both great and small. Dependence truly is better than independence. You have His Word on that!
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 