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 15:4-5
Continue Without Fading
Other translations replace "remain" with "abide." Newer translation that use more modern language don't use "abide" because it's considered obsolete or archaic in modern English. That said, the translation of "abide" here is to live or dwell within. To make it more poetic, the definition I found says to abide is to "continue without fading or being lost."
When we abide in Jesus, we dwell within him. It's mutual, too. He dwells within us as we remain in him. Jesus relates this to how branches interact with their vine. Without the attachment to the vine, there's no way a branch can produce any fruit. But when the branch abides in the vine—when it remains with it—then it can produce fruit. Apart from that vine, a branch can do nothing. It'll simply wither because it no longer gets nutrients from the vine. The same is true for when we're not abiding in Jesus; we no longer bear fruit because we're not abiding in Jesus.
Fruit Is the Result of Your Life
We don't talk like this anymore, so it takes a little imagination to figure out how to apply this to our lives. Fruit, as Jesus talks about, is not like apples, figs, or oranges. Fruit is the result—the produce—of our lives. Elsewhere Jesus talks about how good trees bear good fruit. If we're attached to a good source, our lives bear good results.
When we're walking with Jesus, the results of our lives are good and of benefit to others. We become more generous to the hungry and the widow and orphan. We become more loving and kind to our families. These are the results that come from abiding in Jesus.
What does it look like to abide in Jesus, though? It looks like spending time with him every day. It looks like earnest prayers for your friends and family and the world at large. It looks like serving at your church and making a difference in your local community. It even looks like reading these devotionals and sharing them with friends. Abiding in Jesus, remaining in Jesus, looks like dedicating your day to him, knowing that when you do the results that come from you are good and for the benefit of others.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you that we can abide in You. Help us today to make a difference in the world around us by simply spending time with you. Create in us generous, loving, and kind hearts that seek to do good to others around us. I pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.