Be A REAL, JOY-filled Believer (Abide in The Vine)

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It doesn’t matter where you are, you can always drink in the joy found in relationship with Jesus!

            Many people go to church for the wrong reasons: out of habit, to be with friends, or maybe even because they believe that attending church makes them good.  Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble…but sitting on a church pew doesn’t make us a Christian any more than standing in a candy store makes us sweet! SURE, going to church is a good thing…but we must be careful not to confuse it with a genuine relationship with Christ. God doesn’t live inside the church; He lives inside of His followers. We must “abide in Christ” and have a personal, intimate relationship with Him.  

             Jesus says, "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love." (John 15:9) A real disciple doesn't come to Christ, receive His love, and then leave again; he remains. When Jesus says: "abide in Me," “ bear much fruit," or "abide in My love," He means: "Be a real believer."

In John 15:4, Jesus tells us that “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”  In order for a branch to abide, it must be connected; it can’t be even a fraction of an inch away. Genuine, joy-filled Christians are those who are connected to Christ…abiding in His love.

           Only those who abide in the true Vine can claim the promise of genuine JOY!