“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…” [John 15:4-8 NIV]
The implication of the word “remain” according to the scripture is that, Jesus Christ does not want a temporary but rather a permanent relationship with us. Therefore, when we approach Him, we should not be only concerned about being blessed, healed or delivered but strive to receive these and remain in Him. This is because, no matter how long a branch may survive on the vine, if it is cut away, it will surely die. Similarly, it does not matter how long one has been a Christian because that does not qualify them to be independent of a relationship with the Lord. There is a need for us as Christians to remain in God through thick and thin; when blessed or otherwise, in poverty or prosperity, in sickness or good health, in the valley of the shadow of death or before a table of abundance.
Contrarily, many are like the prodigal son in the Book of Luke 15:11-17, after claiming his inheritance he went off to a foreign land with the belief that he could survive on his own. Likewise, many today after being blessed by the Lord tend to abandon God. It seems that we fail to understand that the blessing of God can only be maintained through Him.
The Lord is calling us as Christians to break the habit of remembering Him only when we are in need because this can cost us our salvation for no one knows their last day on earth. “For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his own soul.” So then, let us establish a permanent relationship with Him because “from Him, through Him and for Him are all things.” (Romans 11:36 NIV)
THE GRACE OF GOD IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU
