Verse from John

“你们要住在我里面，我也就住在你们里面。枝子若不连在葡萄树上，自己就不能结果子；你们若不住在我里面，也是这样。”

‭‭约翰福音‬ ‭15:4‬ ‭

“Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:4‬ ‭

Jesus’ teachings about life “in [Him]” (John 15:4) flow from His teachings about the Spirit (14:15–21). Through the Spirit sent from God to live “with” and “in” believers in Jesus (v. 17), they experience the intimate joy of the Father and Son’s love for them (v. 21). Through the Spirit drawing us into the love, joy, and abundant life of the triune God, we’re empowered to keep Christ’s commands (v. 21)—namely, to love as Jesus has loved us (15:12). 

Biblical scholar Rodney Whitacre says it beautifully: “The obedience Jesus is talking about is an obedience not to societal rules, but to the Father who is all love. To obey him is to conform one’s life to the very pattern of God’s own life . . . which is characterized by harmony, grace, goodness and beauty. We are in intimate union with him and swept up into his dance for which we were created.”