“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NASB)
Why is it that some people can be Christians for decades and not seem to change much, and others seem to start bearing fruit the moment they give their lives to Christ? My guess is that many of those who’ve been in the church for years probably did bear some fruit in the beginning. It’s not that they don’t believe that Jesus is the Christ, and trust that He’s their only hope. It’s that they’ve slowly been numbed by the cares of this world and have wondered off in their hearts. Jesus has many stern warnings for such people, but quite often even His repeated pleading isn’t enough to break into a lukewarm heart. The word “abide” found in John 15:5 is actually from a primary verb that means “to stay” or “remain.” Remember, starting strong is wonderful… but only those who continue to submit their lives to Christ will be able to stand firm until the end.
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