The Cooling Stream

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. (John 15:4)

• How is behavior altered?
   
• Both reason and will are important in making moral decisions and exercising self-control.
   
• But neither of them has proven very effective in changing behavior.
   
• In other words, information alone is not powerful enough to transform behavior.
   
• As Jesus’ followers, we want to grow and change spiritually.
   
• Many years ago, the Lord Jesus told His disciples how that could happen.
   
• He said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me”.
   
• Jesus is the Vine and we, His followers, are the branches.
   
• We are utterly helpless and spiritually ineffective apart from Him.
   
• Jesus transforms us spiritually and reproduces His life in us, as we abide in Him.
   
• A change in behavior always begins with Jesus changing our heart.