Remaining in Christ……

  • Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.

    You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Not me

Well-Known Member
May 8, 2019
1,696
1,945
113
66
California, Ca.
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
John 15:5 (NASB20)
“I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This expression of remaining in Christ is not directing one to anything outwardly, for no physical location can get one closer to, or further away from Christ…. Therefore, if this is true, these words would be addressed to something inwardly, that being, the inner man’s relationship with Christ…..

For these words, ‘remains in me and I in Him’ are meant to be an encouragement to the believing one, for all that is required is for the believing one to remain a believing one…. These words do not mean that the believing soul sometimes has Christ, and sometimes does not have Christ depending on their actions…. There is something that is effected by one’s actions though, that would be one’s sensibility of the life of Christ in them….. For the sensibility of the life of Christ remains sensible by the faith of one’s heart, for when one’s faith does not remain, the sensibility of the life of Christ does not remain…. Which sensibility can be brought back by one turning back to Christ by faith….

For this is what this ‘remaining’ is that Christ is addressing, it is encouraging one to remain in the faith, that is to stay trusting in God… So that the believing soul can and will produce fruit, and once again to increase in that trusting to produce even more fruit…. For God’s hands are tied by one’s unbelief, for if one does not succumb to unbelief but remains with the trust of their heart towards God, God is free to work in that one’s life….. For God does want to grow His life in the believing one, but needs the believing one to remain in the faith, that is, to keep on trusting, that He is God, and that He is good, and that He loves His creation, and that His love is pointed personally toward that one, that He is at work, and has birthed and will grow His life in the believing one’s life…. So if all this is true, what is this that this trusting in God is to manifest…?

It is righteousness….

For in the manifestation of righteousness is the realness of God manifested outwardly to all…. For this is what turns another to Christ, the righteousness of faith manifested outwardly towards another… Be that other in the faith or not, for if the truth of Christ is manifested, the opportunity for growth or salvation is presented to the other….

This is why remaining in the faith produces much fruit, because the fruit comes from God Himself, the believing soul has no part in the production of the fruit but to remain a believing soul…. For God will do all, if the soul remains a believing soul… Henceforth the command of our Lord to remain in Him so the believing one will produce much fruit, and in that fruit show forth the truth of God, for in doing one’s part in the growing of Gods family is the abundance of one’s reward…..


In the Beloved, Not me
 
  • Like
Reactions: marks and Nancy

stunnedbygrace

Well-Known Member
Aug 18, 2018
12,397
12,048
113
USA
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
I’ve lately been greatly enjoying many of your posts. I’ve even marveled at some of them. But this one might be going a bit over my head.

I can at least contribute enough to say that I’ve seen a verse can be helpful to us at whatever depth we are currently at. I too have seen that verse like this: remain in trust in Me and I will remain in you, (not that if I stumble in trust He will no longer remain in Me in the Holy Spirit, because He is faithful even when I’m not.)

But then I’ve also seen the verse at a different depth, of holiness, which is like this: Him remaining in me in the Holy Spirit is the hope of glory. Me walking in and remaining in the Spirit is walking in His glory.

Im pretty certain there’s even more levels In between the two levels of righteous by trust and holiness.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Not me

Dropship

Well-Known Member
Jun 2, 2022
2,213
1,514
113
75
Plymouth UK
Faith
Christian
Country
United Kingdom
Some people give up being christians and say they've "lost their faith", but I can't understand that, unless they never really had faith in the first place.
I mean, no Elvis fan is ever going to say "I don't like Elvis any more", so how can anybody say "I don't like Jesus any more"?..:)
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Nancy

stunnedbygrace

Well-Known Member
Aug 18, 2018
12,397
12,048
113
USA
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Some people give up being christians and say they've "lost their faith", but I can't understand that, unless they never really had faith in the first place.
I mean, no Elvis fan is ever going to say "I don't like Elvis any more", so how can anybody say "I don't like Jesus any more"?..:)
Well…some people are given more horrible things or one right after another after another. and they stop trusting Him because of the evils and hardships they see and go through. Their trust gets shipwrecked. They lose hope.
But you dare not make any judgement against them. Firstly, they might be brought out of it and be of more use to God than you ever will, despite having gone through horrors that are far worse than you’ve ever experienced. Secondly, you can’t see the end of a man and can judge wrongly and you will be judged as you have judged.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nancy and marks

Not me

Well-Known Member
May 8, 2019
1,696
1,945
113
66
California, Ca.
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
I’ve lately been greatly enjoying many of your posts. I’ve even marveled at some of them. But this one might be going a bit over my head.

I can at least contribute enough to say that I’ve seen a verse can be helpful to us at whatever depth we are currently at. I too have seen that verse like this: remain in trust in Me and I will remain in you, (not that if I stumble in trust He will no longer remain in Me in the Holy Spirit, because He is faithful even when I’m not.)

But then I’ve also seen the verse at a different depth, of holiness, which is like this: Him remaining in me in the Holy Spirit is the hope of glory. Me walking in and remaining in the Spirit is walking in His glory.

Im pretty certain there’s even more levels In between the two levels of righteous by trust and holiness.
Thanks for the encouraging words..

It is well perceived that you are being taught from above…. May that testimony of the grace that is alive and working in you be ever increasing….

Knowing that the only teaching that is effectual is the teaching that comes from His Spirit to our’s; is of value that causes increase…

May you be ever so blessed in that increase, Not me
 

Karl Peters

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2021
1,424
659
113
66
Fontana
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Sometimes it seems we just make it more complicated that it needs to be.

For example: we don't really 'remain in faith" but rather because we have faith that Jesus Christ is with us we remain in a relationship with Him.

Yet even that is more complicated than it needs to be, but 'remaining in a relationship with Him, really just means we talk with Him.

So what does "“I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."???

It just means that He is around so we can talk to Him - that is all!!!

Yet saying that is all is saying a lot, because His words are spirit and are life.

He gives us life - He gives us instructions, He gives us purpose - encouragement - teachings - and sooooooo much more. He even does that for people when they don't know He is doing that - meaning they don't have faith in Him!! Have we not read that God provide for all men?

The fact is that if God really pulled His Holy Spirit from us, then things would go downhill quickly. Then murder Satan would take control. We would see death and all over. The situation in eastern Ukraine might be a better part of the world. The fruits of the Spirit could not be found on earth. So for the believer, those who are His sheep and thus listen to Him, we get more even life everlasting, but also more now.

Still the parable or saying, " "“I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."??? - just means we need to walk and talk with Him. But hearing Him is done only if we believe (have faith) that He is there to be heard from -- and He is!!

I talk to Him and He talks to me, everyday! In fact He told me to go make a post on this forum. It wasn't complicated. I just finished eating dinner and was about to work on my business which I do from my home, when He told me, "Karl would you please go to the forum and make a post for Me.".

Trusting/ believing in Him is not complicated. It is just understanding that He is there and does talk to us! But who believes that?
 

Not me

Well-Known Member
May 8, 2019
1,696
1,945
113
66
California, Ca.
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
Sometimes it seems we just make it more complicated that it needs to be.

For example: we don't really 'remain in faith" but rather because we have faith that Jesus Christ is with us we remain in a relationship with Him.

Yet even that is more complicated than it needs to be, but 'remaining in a relationship with Him, really just means we talk with Him.

So what does "“I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."???

It just means that He is around so we can talk to Him - that is all!!!

Yet saying that is all is saying a lot, because His words are spirit and are life.

He gives us life - He gives us instructions, He gives us purpose - encouragement - teachings - and sooooooo much more. He even does that for people when they don't know He is doing that - meaning they don't have faith in Him!! Have we not read that God provide for all men?

The fact is that if God really pulled His Holy Spirit from us, then things would go downhill quickly. Then murder Satan would take control. We would see death and all over. The situation in eastern Ukraine might be a better part of the world. The fruits of the Spirit could not be found on earth. So for the believer, those who are His sheep and thus listen to Him, we get more even life everlasting, but also more now.

Still the parable or saying, " "“I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."??? - just means we need to walk and talk with Him. But hearing Him is done only if we believe (have faith) that He is there to be heard from -- and He is!!

I talk to Him and He talks to me, everyday! In fact He told me to go make a post on this forum. It wasn't complicated. I just finished eating dinner and was about to work on my business which I do from my home, when He told me, "Karl would you please go to the forum and make a post for Me.".

Trusting/ believing in Him is not complicated. It is just understanding that He is there and does talk to us! But who believes that?
Hello and in Him, may your joy be ever so blessed in your experiencing of Him….

A fellow believer, Not me
 
Last edited: