Abiding in Christ and the principle of the vine life

This sermon is a continuation of Pastor Prince’s series on the blessings of the upper room.

This teaching of abiding in Christ and the principle of the Lord being the vine and we believers as the branches are new covenant truths that our Lord shared in His Last Supper in the upper room. It is important for us to be established in what it means to abide in Christ as it holds the key to walking in the fullness of all that our Lord died to give us.

In the above verse, “abide” in the original Greek means “to stay” or “to remain.” The first thing we need to know is that we are not trying to connect to our Lord Jesus; we are already in Him. This is our eternal reality, and we are to abide in Him, to remain or to stay connected to Him!

Our Lord Jesus illustrates our relationship with Him using the analogy of the vine and its branches. What’s intriguing is that the vine and its numerous branches are perceived as a unified whole; they aren’t separate entities but are collectively one. This explains succinctly the relationship that believers and the church have with Christ, that is, believers form the church, and together we all constitute Him.

In Acts 9:3–5, when Paul (then known as Saul) lost his sight for three days, he encountered the Lord, who introduced Himself as “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Why did the ascended Christ, sitting at the Father’s right hand, say that to Paul? The reason is that Paul was persecuting the church heavily. In fact, he was on his way to Damascus to arrest believers. And because of the oneness we have with the Lord, when any part of the body of the church is hurt, He is hurt. Similarly, when we bless the body of Christ, we are blessing Him.

As the collective body of Christ, it is essential that we also see that we are one. The body of Christ is made up of different churches, and if one church hurts, we all suffer. So it is imperative that we pray for the church as a whole for the glory of the Lord to manifest and for the sons and daughters of the Lord to arise and shine (Isa. 60).

“He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”—Continuing with the analogy of the vine and its branches, we know that the branches draw nutrients and sustenance from the vine, and when the branches are cut off, they wither and die. As we are spirit beings that have emotions and thoughts and live in a body, this is also true for us. We are meant to draw our sustenance from the Lord and to live connected to Him, that is, to abide in Him.

As we abide in the Lord, His vine life, the same peace and life that He demonstrated during His earthly ministry will flow in and through us, causing us to go from glory to glory, bearing much fruit to God. Besides being fruitful, we can also expect to be strong and healthy because we are members of His body and of His flesh and bones (Eph. 5:30). As our Lord Jesus is strong and healthy, the more we identify with Him, the stronger and healthier we will become!

However, many of us struggle to believe that we can do nothing without Him. There are those of us who believe that without the Lord, we can still achieve something. When we rely on our self-effort to produce results or bear fruit, we restrict the flow of supply from our Lord (the vine), leading to bitter fruits or failure and even barrenness.

Beloved, the Lord wants you to abide in Him for your own good. And He wants you to understand that you don’t need to strive to abide in Him because you are already one with Him when you were born again. As you abide or remain in Him, He is the vine that will provide all you need to bear much good fruit that will last!

The Holy Spirit, our Helper, is one Spirit with seven manifestations

In the upper room, Jesus revealed that another Helper will be sent to us to guide and teach us in all things (John 14:26). We have already learned in the previous sermon, The Language of the Holy Spirit, how the Spirit communicates with us through dreams and visions as He leads and guides us. In Isaiah 11, we discover that the Holy Spirit has seven distinct manifestations. They are:

1. Spirit of the Lord
2. Spirit of wisdom
3. Spirit of understanding
4. Spirit of counsel
5. Spirit of might
6. Spirit of knowledge
7. Spirit of fear of the Lord
   
   

It is important to note that these manifestations do not represent separate spirits; they are all part of the same Holy Spirit. With them, the Holy Spirit will help, guide, and enable believers to live the abundant, overcoming life that the Lord died to purchase for us at the cross.

Apart from these seven manifestations of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit also has nine gifts (1 Cor. 12:7–11) to empower believers in their Christian walk. The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit are divided into three categories: revelation gifts, speech gifts, and power gifts.

The revelation gifts comprise word of wisdom, word of knowledge, and the discerning of spirits. Then there are the gifts of speech—tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy. Last, the Holy Spirit grants gifts of action or power, namely the gift of healing, the working of miracles, and the gift of faith.

These gifts empower and equip believers for the edification of the body of Christ and the advancement of His kingdom on Earth. When filled with the Holy Spirit and enabled by His gifts, we will be able to access and enjoy the abundance that the Lord intended for us here on earth!

Abide in Christ by following the anointing of the Holy Spirit within

What does it mean to “abide” in Christ? How do we do that practically and enjoy His vine life?

The key to abiding in Christ is to follow the anointing of the Holy Spirit within! We abide in Christ when we learn to live led by the Holy Spirit, by following His leading and anointing from within. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide; by leaning on this anointing within, we are led to restfully produce good fruits in our lives.

But Pastor Prince, how can I be sure I am being led by the Holy Spirit and not something else?

First, the Holy Spirit dwells within new covenant believers to teach us in all things. He is the Spirit of truth and that is why the apostle John tells us in 1 John 2:27 that “you do not need that anyone teach you” the truth as He is already within you.

Next, there is the five-fold ministry established by the Lord. Consisting of teachers of the Word, pastors, evangelists, apostles, and prophets, the role of this ministry is not to direct us toward something new, but rather, to confirm the truths that the Holy Spirit has already revealed to us. Therefore, the five-fold ministry affirms or confirms what we already know rather than guiding us in a new direction.

Together with the Word of God, they are like tracks guiding a train to its destination, while the Holy Spirit within us acts like the power or engine to propel us from within. It is important to realize that having the Holy Spirit’s power without any confirmation from the five-fold ministry or God’s Word can lead to destruction. Conversely, if we have confirmation from the five-fold ministry but lack the power of the Holy Spirit, we won’t make any or much progress.

So when we combine the power of the Holy Spirit with confirmation from the five-fold ministry and from God’s Word, we are led in the right destination with godly wisdom and experience good success.

The Bible tells us, “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established” (Prov. 15:22). Seeking wise counsel and confirming what is within us—rather than relying on our logic or intellect—also helps us realize that our minds are to serve us and not to be our masters.

The humility required in submission will also help us to grow “in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men,” just as our Lord Jesus did at the age of 12, when He submitted Himself to the teachers in the temple and to His human parents (Luke 2:46–52). The Bible also tells us that pride often precedes a fall, while humility fosters respect and honor.

Step into greater authority and dominion as you abide in Christ!

Our Lord Jesus desires for us to walk in greater authority and dominion, reigning in every area of our lives. This effortless victorious living becomes possible when we abide in the Lord and yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

During the Last Supper in the upper room, the Lord imparted a profound truth to His disciples: as believers, we have the authority to ask for anything in His name, and it will be granted (John 14:14). Now, this kind of prayer will not work in areas of immorality, meaning that you cannot demand for someone else’s job, or spouse, or house. This type of commanding prayer is for all that the Lord paid for us to have at the cross, for example, health, healing, and wholeness in our bodies and minds.

The authority in this prayer also extends to speaking into the situations around us, commanding specific outcomes in His name (Matt. 16:19). Through the Lord’s one perfect sacrifice at the cross, He retrieved the keys to this earth that Adam had forfeited and entrusted them to us. Therefore, today, our declarations carry the power to permit or prohibit events affecting us and our loved ones.

To help us be more conscious of the Holy Spirit’s manifestations in our lives and to grow in His gifts, there are 2 Spirit-inspired, evergreen prayers we can pray over ourselves daily:

1. Prayer to receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation

This Spirit of wisdom and revelation was evident in Joseph (Gen. 41:32–43). When Pharaoh had two prophetic dreams, no one in Egypt could interpret them. Yet, Joseph understood the dreams and provided a clear interpretation. Inspired by the Lord’s Spirit of wisdom and revelation, Joseph even proposed a solution that saved Egypt from famine and hunger. The Lord enlightened the eyes of Joseph’s understanding, allowing him to “see” from within, from his heart. Similarly, the Lord desires to impart this Spirit to us and to enlighten the eyes of our understanding!

Parents, if you have a child or teenager who is rebellious and doesn’t like to study, or uses social media excessively, pray this prayer over them, trusting in the Lord to bring them revelation and to enlighten them from the inside. The Lord can cause them to realize the pitfalls of social media and rediscover their love for the truths that we have in Christ!

In your workplaces, your bosses or clients would be looking for someone who is able to interpret trends, see solutions, and make good decisions. Ask the Lord for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, for the eyes of your heart to be enlightened to see what others do not see, and to be a blessing in the workplace.

And if you are experiencing strife in your personal relationship, receiving the spirit of wisdom and revelation could mean that you stop insisting that you are right and just love the other person. By seeing the situation or person through the eyes of your heart, you may come to realize what the root issue is and defuse the situation supernaturally naturally!

2. Prayer to receive the Spirit of might and the working of miracles:

The Greek word here for “might” is dunamis, meaning “miracle-working power.” This power was demonstrated through Samson and Gideon. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, he displayed incredible strength to fulfill his divine purpose. Similarly, Gideon led a small army of 300 men to victory against a much larger enemy, thanks to the miraculous enabling of the Lord.

It’s essential to recognize that the Spirit of wisdom and revelation seen in Joseph and the Spirit of might in Samson and Gideon were manifestations of the same Holy Spirit. Under the old covenant, the Holy Spirit would come upon significant individuals but not dwell within them because Jesus had not yet come to carry out the Father’s redemption plan..

How much more will we experience and walk in these manifestations and gifts of the Holy Spirit under the new covenant, where the Holy Spirit dwells within us, guiding us with His anointing daily?

Let’s expect to step into a greater measure of the upper room blessings this year as we follow the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Let’s activate the faith of God by acknowledging the authority and dominion we already have in Christ, declaring and expecting that whatever we command in Jesus’ name shall be established.

We can also pray for the Lord to manifest the Holy Spirit’s gifts in our lives in greater measure, including wisdom and revelation like Joseph, with the eyes of our hearts open to see divine solutions for complex problems. Moreover, let’s eagerly anticipate the Holy Spirit empowering us with remarkable healing and miracle-working power to fulfill our calling and be a blessing to those around us.