Abide in Me

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

John 15:4 KJV

When Jesus says “I am the true vine”, the audience of that day was familiar with the vine, how it was planted and how they took care of it. To clearly understand what was meant, we need to know how they took care of a vine in that era. 

John 15:1-2 KJVS I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Note that this branch that bears no fruits, in the above scripture, is in Him as opposed to John 15:6 where the branch is not in Him. In those days, if a person saw a branch that was connected to a branch but was not bearing fruits, they will lift up the branch so more life and nutrients from the vine flowed to the branch so it can bear fruit. 

For us, this means that when we see a brother who is in weakness, we do not cut him off, but we seek to restore and bring him back to where he can bear fruit, just like our Father will do. We also see that if the branch bears fruits, He purges.