“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

Pastor Gisanura emphasized that Jesus is the One who enables us to be righteous; we cannot achieve righteousness by our own strength. Remaining in Him is the source of both freedom and answered prayers. As stated in John 15:7, abiding in Christ carries two important benefits: freedom and receiving what we ask for according to His will.

However, abiding in Jesus is not about chasing personal benefits or recognition. It is about seeking what He desires and living the life we were created to live—a life rooted in Him.

When God created man, He placed him in Eden to live close to His presence. Eden represents fellowship with God. But after sin, humanity was separated from that presence.

Jesus came to bring us back into fellowship with God. He teaches that abiding in His Word and putting it into practice is the way to dwell in a spiritual “Eden,” where God’s presence remains. Knowing God’s Word and living by it is the true life of abiding in Christ.

Pastor Gisanura compared this to a sponge placed in water: the water fills it, and it remains immersed in the water. In the same way, we are called to remain in Jesus, and He in us. When you believe that Christ dwells in you, you live carefully, with dignity and self-control, avoiding anything that would defile you because you understand who you are in Him.

God empowers us in all things. Sometimes the answer comes even before we ask, because He already knows what we need. He can even protect someone from danger without them realizing it. When we abide in Jesus and He abides in us, our lives are guided by His power.

A person who lives in Christ is like someone wearing a white garment—careful not to stain it. But someone already dressed in dirty clothes may not even notice becoming dirtier. When we live this way, Jesus becomes our source of righteousness and of answered prayers, enabling us to live well now as we await an even greater life in the future.