What did Jesus mean when he said to “abide” in him (John 15:4–11)? What does that look like? How is it related to God’s word and prayer?
Abide is a word that we see often in the apostle John’s writings. The key text is John 15. Jesus says, “I am the true vine. And my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 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.”
We see this term abide throughout John’s Gospel. In John 6:56, Jesus says, “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”
So what does this mean?
It’s parallel to believing in Christ, receiving him by faith. Abiding looks like receiving the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It’s a picture of the gospel—Jesus’s redemptive work for us.
And we’re told in John 15 that there’s this fruit that’s created by abiding in Christ. The one who creates that fruit is Christ Himself. It’s his life, flowing in and through you, the believer, when you believe in him. By faith, you’re united to him. The Holy Spirit fills you. You’re connected to Christ. You have the Spirit of Christ living in you. The apostle Paul says that the Spirit of Christ is at work in you to produce this fruit (Rom. 8:2–10).
Part of this looks like obeying God’s word. It also looks like a life of prayer, abiding in him and asking him for what you need: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:7).
When we think about this idea of abiding in Christ, we’re tempted to ask, “What do I need to do in order to abide in Christ?” But the emphasis here is on this idea of receiving and resting in him. So the question is, are you in Christ? Are you resting in Him and what he’s done for you?
As you do, the life of Christ is flowing through you. He begins, organically, to produce that fruit in your life. Does prayer help? Does reading the word of God help? Well, since prayer and the Bible are two of the ways we commune with Christ and come to know him better, the answer is yes. So pursue the Lord through those things, resting in him, and what he’s done for you.
This article is part of our Frequently Asked Questions series. Listen to Pastor Adriel answer this question on Core Radio here.
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