Without Christ, We Can Do Nothing
“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.”
Christians must have Christ living in them in order to overcome sin. This verse compares Christ to a vine and us to branches. What can the branches do without being connected to the vine? Nothing! They would die from being cut off from their source of nourishment and strength.
Here are a few ways to stay connected to Christ:
1. Regularly practice the daily disciplines of a Christian—prayer, Bible study, meditation and occasional fasting.
2. Rule over the very strong pulls of your physical, fleshly desires, instead of having them rule over you (Genesis 4:7; James 4:8).
3. Do good works and deeds for others out of genuine concern instead of for recognition or gain (Philippians 2:3).
Even Christ didn’t try to do everything on His own; He looked to the Father for strength (Hebrews 5:7). We are instructed to follow this example and look to God the Father and His Son living in us for help. If we can do nothing without Christ, then just think of what we can do with Him!
For more information on Christ’s living in us, read “Christ in Us: How Does He Live in You?”
Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “We Are Not Alone in This.”
