One might think that “living attached” refers to the bond between one person, and another person, or a place, or a thing.  For the past 38 years I have lived happily attached to the most incredible lady in the world– my wife Peggy.  Yes, marriage is definitely “living attached,” and is a really great idea.  Some live attached  to their hometown, or to their farms, or to their pet Chihuahua.  Sadly, others seem to live helplessly attached to alcohol and drugs, and don’t seem to ever be able to shake it.  But Jesus gave new meaning to the term, living attached.  He actually said that it’s the only way to live.  John 15 tells us all about it.

“I am the True Vine. . . Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:1, 4-5

This is so simple– and yet so awesome.  Jesus is the vine, and we are only the branches.  Notice– the Bible says JESUS is the vine–  not parents, not good families, not a pastor, not a prophet, not a denomination, not a famous evangelist, not a doctrine, not a church, not Master’s Commission, not an experience with God, not a past commitment to Christ, not church attendance, not religion, not baptism, not love, not kindness, not good deeds done in the name of Jesus, not prayer, not worship, not even a miracle.  Only Jesus Christ is the vine.

A branch which is NOT living attached to the vine will die.  It’s inevitable.  It cannot live without the attachment to the life in the vine.  If I go out into my yard and pluck a leaf off of a bush, I need not be surprised when the leaf shrivels up and dies.  No matter how much I love the leaf, or how much I pamper the leaf, or how much I bathe the leaf in kind words and caresses, it will die.  No exceptions.

The same is true of my relationship with Jesus.  If I do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, I will spiritually shrivel up and die.  The phrase “remain in me” from John 15 features the word, “remain,” or “abide.”  It means “attached to.”  It’s the same word used for when a baby is attached to the mother in the womb through the umbilical cord.  If the baby is not attached to the umbilical cord while in the womb, it will die.  Jesus was saying, “YOU MUST LIVE ATTACHED TO ME,” or you will spiritually die.

I’m a pastor.  I love helping people come into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  I try to do everything I can to teach them how to nurture that relationship and value it above all things.  I can encourage, counsel, preach, teach, baptize, and pray for them– but I cannot be their vine.  People sometimes walk away from faith and blame it on the church, on the pastor, on the teaching, and on any number of other things.  “The church wasn’t there for me; the pastor was not there for me. Nobody noticed that I was struggling, and they failed to help me.”   It breaks my heart when I hear those things; it really does.

But I AM NOT THE VINE; THE CHURCH IS NOT THE VINE; ONLY JESUS IS THE VINE.  A relationship with me, or with a pastor, or with a certain friend, or with a church cannot bring spiritual nourishment.  But a relationship with Jesus CAN, and always WILL bring life and spiritual nourishment.

I am only one person, so I am very limited.  Churches are limited.  Doctrines are limited.  Christian friendships are limited.  But Jesus is not limited.  That is why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live INSIDE US.  The Holy Spirit is our attachment to Christ.  He is not limited.  Not at all.  It blows my mind that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, lives in ME (Romans 8:11)!

It’s all about my personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

It’s called, living attached.