Abiding in Christ - The Evidences of Abiding in Christ

Temple Baptist Church - 1-18-2026

John 15:1-16

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Last week, I preached on “Abiding In Christ.”  Once saved, always saved; therefore, as we reside in Christ, we must abide in Christ.  I believe that we have a church full of saved people.  I have confidence in your profession of faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour. 

 

B.  Notice with me that I said both Lord and Saviour.  That is biblical salvation.  He is not only to be our Saviour, but He is also to be our Lord. 

 

Acts 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

 

Romans 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

 

Lord – supreme in authority, Master, Controller, Sir!

 

C. I am also aware that we are human, fleshly, and sinful at best.  I often struggle along with you.  The Apostle Paul struggled (Romans chapter 7); King David, a man after God’s own heart, often struggled (2 Samuel chapter 11).  I am not condoning sin in any fashion, just stating the face that we are sinners, but saved by the amazing grace of God!

 

D.  With that said, many do not abide in Christ because they are not His to begin with.  Religion is in every country on earth, along with on every street corner of America.  Many do not abide in Christ because they were never born of the Vine in the first place.  You cannot abide in or bear fruit for the Vine unless you are attached and the sap flows.

 

E.  Those who are saved do not abide in Christ because they choose to live a life of sinful disobedience, which causes the branch to:

 

1.  Dry up and fall off.  This is not normal unless there is a problem with either the branch or the Vine itself.  It is not a Vine problem!  Refusing the sap of God’s Word and the wooing of the precious Holy Spirit will cause the branch to fall off and die.

 

2.  Be broken off during the storms of life.  If the branch is not strong and vibrant with life, it may well be found lying on the ground after a storm.  It is not a Vine problem!

 

3.  Or become disobedient to God and must be pruned by the Husbandman.  It is not a Vine problem!

 

4.  There is nothing wrong with the Vine or the sap that flows from the Root.

 

F.  It is the will of the Husbandman that each branch be healthy, prosper, and bear fruit.  God feeds and prunes the branches to bring forth maximum growth and fruit.

 

G.  I want to look at some of the evidence found in these verses of a healthy branch that abides in the Vine.  There should be evidence in our lives showing our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as we walk in obedience to Him.  Healthy branches bear both the characteristics and fruit of the Vine.

 

1.  Abiding Produces Fruit Bearing – Verses 2-8.  I believe that all of God’s children bear fruit, though the amounts may vary.  How can you be in Christ and never show any evidence of the imparting of a new nature?  Every child born bears some resemblance to father, mother, or both.  I said before: “No fruit, no sap, no branch!”

 

Matthew 13:8  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

 

Matthew 13:23  But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

 

a.  Verse 2 – “beareth fruit” at first.  The newborn believer.  A babe in Christ bears resemblance to the Father.

 

b.  Verse 2b – “more fruit” as proper spiritual growth occurs.  As the babes in Christ begin to grow from “the milk of the word” to “strong meat,” they begin to crawl, walk, and run.

 

c.  Verse 5 – “much fruit” in maturity.  Older, mature believers bear fruit in many areas of life and serve as mentors and leaders to those who follow.

 

2.  Abiding Produces Answered Prayer – Verse 7.

 

a.  Answered prayer is evidence of a relationship.  I could ask my earthly father and get an answer.  It was not always what I either wanted or expected because I sometimes asked for the wrong things.

 

Luke 11:11  If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

 

b.  Answered Prayer is a reward of relationship.  Receiving what we asked for is a result of desiring God’s will and asking within its realm.

 

1 John 5:14-15  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

 

3.  Abiding Produces Consistency – Verse 9.

 

a. Stabilization.  Some will never stabilize because they lack spiritual growth, discernment, and faithfulness.  We love them but never expect anything from them!

 

Hebrews 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

 

b.  Dependability.  They are the same, year after year.  They love the Lord, and that love is manifested in their lives for others to see.

 

Colossians 1:2  To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

4.  Abiding Produces Obedience To Christ – Verse 10.

 

a.  Obedience Unforced - Romans 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

 

b.  Obedience Of Love - 1 John 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

 

5.  Abiding Produces Christian Joy – Verse 11.

 

a.  Christian Joy Is Contentment - Psalms 32:11  Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

 

b.  Christian Joy Is Contagious - Proverbs 15:13  A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.  Everyone loves to be around a joyful Christian!)

 

6.  Abiding Produces Spiritual Blessing – Verses 15-16.

 

a.  The Blessing Of Being A Friend Of God - James 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

 

b.  The Blessing Of Being Filled With God – vs. 16 “your fruit should remain” - Galatians 5:22-24  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

 

7.  Love For One Another – Verse 17. 

 

1 John 3:14  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

 

a.  We All Are Attached  To The Same Vine.  The same spiritual DNA.

 

b.  We All Are Drawing Sap From The Same Root.  The same Holy Spirit.

 

Conclusion:  Fruit bearing takes both “birthing” and “abiding!”