When it comes to spiritual disciplines like surrender or yielding our life to the Lord, the hardest part is not the act of initial surrender, but the journey of remaining surrendered to Him in the days and months ahead. For most believers, this journey can be discouraging, filled with success and failure, ups and downs, and sometimes, you may even feel like giving up. But that should never be the case. After all, it is the Holy Spirit living in you that seals you in Him and is the deposit, the guarantee of the promise of your future inheritance to come (Eph. 1:14). And this is more than going to heaven when you die— far more. The indwelling Holy Spirit also guarantees your sanctification, which is you becoming more like Christ each and every day (1 Cor. 1:30).
But the one question still remains, how? How do we experience the process of becoming more like our Lord in the chaos of everyday living? And how do we make sure, at least on our end, that we remain surrendered and submitted to Him?
In Christian circles, we hear much about the word abide or abiding regarding our relationship with Christ. Jesus actually made that term the centerpiece of His teaching on the nature of our relationship with Him in John 15. You would do well to study this teaching. In it, Jesus said:
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” – John 15:4-5.
Abiding in Christ is the key to remaining surrendered and walking in obedience under His authority. But what does it mean to abide in Him? And how is it done?
The word “abide” in Greek is menó, and means to “remain or stay, live, and dwell with someone in an intimate, close relationship by being united with them, or being made one with them, in heart, mind, and will.”¹ It is more than a casual acquaintance but rather a deep, enduring connection. And it is only when we remain connected to Him, that we allow His life to flow through us, producing spiritual fruit that brings glory to the Father (John 15:8).
The principle is simple: When we abide, we flourish and live. When we detach from the vine and try to go it alone, we flounder and die. And the choice is always ours to make.
Why is abiding so important? Because it leads to spiritual fruitfulness in our lives. Jesus said, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). As we stay attached or surrendered to the Vine (Christ), His life flows through us, and this supernaturally enables us to bear His good fruit— the fruit of righteousness, godly character, and the expansion of God’s kingdom, all for the glory of the Father. It is an amazing dependent relationship. Remember, as a branch, we don’t produce any fruit. That’s the job of the Vine, Christ. But as long as we remain attached and surrendered to Him, we get the joy of bearing His fruit since all He is, as the Vine, flows through us and, as His branches, gives our life purpose. And all we have to do is remain surrendered, attached, and submitted to the source of everything that gives our life value. He produces all the fruit, and we get to bear His handiwork for the world to see. Let that sink in for a moment.
The Scriptures reveal we were created for good works (Eph. 2:10), but we can only fulfill these works if we rely wholly on Jesus’ power working in us. If we detach from the Vine, our best efforts become futile, and we quickly...
