“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 15:5
A Sunday school teacher wanted her first grade class to know about the different types of sin that could be committed, so she asked her students, “Does anyone know what the sins of commission are?”
A little girl said, “That is when you do something your mom tells you not to do.”
“Very good. That’s exactly right. Does anyone know what the sins of omission are?”
A little boy frantically waved his hand. He said, “Those are the sins you are supposed to commit but you haven’t gotten around to them yet.”
That is how a lot of Christians act today. They think it is only a matter of time until they commit certain sins or fall prey to certain sins. But according to the Bible, sin can and should be resisted. We don’t have to be victims to it. We cannot only resist sin as a Christian, but we can grow stronger spiritually every day. However, we can’t do it in our own strength.
Jesus said the secret to spiritual growth is in abiding: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). He said, “He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit” (v. 5).
Jesus was talking about a vine that would produce grapes. We need to sink our roots deep into a relationship with Christ. Abiding speaks of a continuing commitment. It’s producing fruit. It’s walking with God on an ongoing basis. Abiding takes time, and lots of it.
If you want to grow spiritually, if you want to be able to resist temptation, if you want to live a life that is pleasing to God, then you must abide in Christ.
This article originally appeared on Harvest.org.