“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
When a person trusts Christ as their Savior, he is placed in Christ, and Christ dwells in them so that His eternal life flows into and through us. Our eternal destiny is secure because of our position in Christ, but how His life manifests itself in our lives depends on our choices. We have to maintain a constant awareness of our total dependency on Christ.
When you are “abiding” in Christ with consistent, close fellowship, Jesus promises that we will bring “forth much fruit.” Your life will overflow with actions and attitudes that God produces in and through you. This will not be a result of your works but of God’s working in your life.
If you are not abiding in Christ, then the opposite will be true. Jesus said, “For without me ye can do nothing.” Nothing good and beneficial, that is. A dead branch only produces rot, disease, and trash that you must pick up from your yard and dispose of. This is what our life is like when we are trusting in our flesh instead of living in dependence on Christ: a dead, worthless branch.
Abiding in Christ ensures that our Christian life is vibrant and fulfilling. Not every Christian experiences that kind of life, but every Christian can experience it if they will live in consistent, close fellowship with Christ.