by Pat Lunsford

Created on: December 16, 2010   Last Updated: February 08, 2011

To be dependent upon Jesus is to trust Him as our Lord and Savior but it actually goes beyond this. The Scriptures clearly point to Jesus Christ as our life source. "I am the way, and the truth, and the life… In him was life, and the life was the light of men… I am the resurrection.”

Dependence upon Jesus is probably one of the most important truths we must understand. The Apostle Paul explains this very well in Gal. 2:19-21. “For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law- I stopped trying to meet all its requirements- so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

Paul had a passion for the Scriptures. He knew what the Word of God said and he lived by it. But when Jesus Christ came into his life he stopped depending on his own efforts. In other words, he moved forward doing what the Scriptures said but he did so believing that by grace, Jesus would accomplish in him what needed to be done.  “So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless.”

Christ indwells all born again believers and empowers them as their roots grow down into Him. He said, “Without Me you can do nothing." Jesus explained that He was the vine in John 15:1 and that if we stay connected to Him we will draw from His strength the way a branch draws strength from a tree. Without His strength we will fail.

Those who believe they can latch onto Jesus when trouble comes then walk away from Him when the trouble is gone are not abiding and will ultimately be separated from Christ by the Father. “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” (Jn.15:1-2)

Some believe the term “prunes the branches” means tests and trials, which may indeed be the case but the Scriptures clearly say that pruning is a purification process accomplished by the Word. “You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.” (vs.3)

If we don’t abide in Christ he doesn’t remain in us and we stop growing. When a vine stops growing, it stops producing so without Jesus there is no fruit and if there is no fruit the branch is removed. “Remain in me,

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