Articles
The Vital Connection
I noticed one of our bedroom clocks was not properly set, so I changed it to the correct time. A few minutes later I noticed it was still not right, and I said, “That clock is not keeping good time.” Sara asked, “Is it plugged in?” Now why didn’t I think of that?
The problem was not in the clock itself. The problem was not a lack of power in the wall socket. The problem was there was no connection between the two.
The night before He died Jesus said to His disciples, “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).
If a branch cannot produce or even survive unless attached to the vine, how can we as Christians prosper spiritually without being vitally connected with the Vine? “…apart from Me you can do nothing.” NOTHING!
The manufacturers of our clock designed it so that it must be connected to the power source for it to work. If not plugged in, it could sit on the bedside table for decades and simply collect dust.
God so designed us that we cannot fulfill our purpose for existence apart from Christ. Without Him we are full of potential but lacking in power.
“…he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit….” How can we make sure we are abiding in Him? First, we must be baptized into Christ from whom our power comes (Acts 2:38; Gal. 3:27; 5:22-23; Eph. 1:3; 3:16).
Second, we must cultivate our relationship with Him through Bible study, prayer, obedience, and active involvement in the fellowship and work of the church.
Are you plugged in?
