I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
John 15:1-8
Have you ever had the green thumb and tried to grow something? Sometimes, it can be harder than you think. This time last year, I sowed my yard with grass after tilling up the whole thing. Some of it came up, and some of it didn’t. The soil, weather, and maintenance all had a factor in the growth process. What about house plants? Have you ever tried keeping those things alive? Recently, one of our house plants was demoted to the patio in the back yard. It is a big peace lily and was attracting too many bugs, according to my wife. I wondered if it would survive the sun and weather…
Over time, the weather has been nice to the plant. It has received some rain from time to time, and we have watered it on occasion. The main problem has not been with the surroundings of the weather, but the sun has beamed down on it and scorched many of its leaves. I have painfully watched this over the past few weeks. Finally, I decided to trim the scorched leaves and see if it would survive. I took my pruning scissors and cut off almost every stem that had browned. The plant looked greener, but it also looked like a mess. The only thing that would be able to sustain it now would be a strong root system.
Did you know that our life in Christ is like a plant or a vine? Christ is the vine, and His Father is the vinedresser. This means that Christ is all we need! Without a connection to the root, there will be no spiritual growth or fruit to prove a real work of God. Secondly, the Father is always in control of the growth. He sees the root of our hearts and knows if we are really connected with Jesus Christ. He knows what is producing fruit and what is producing green leaves. Do you remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree? He was looking for fruit on it, and in Israel, and He only saw the external religious system based on self-righteousness. He cursed it, because it did not produce organic and spiritual fruit of the Spirit— love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Next, the Father removes all of the “fluffy stuff” that is not producing real fruit. There is much activity going on today in the name of Christ, but I wonder how much of it is directed by the Holy Spirit and saturated in the Word of God. Then, all of the branches of activity and growth, that are not Christ-centered and God-honoring, are cast into the fire and burned. Man is not saved by works of righteousness, and the evidence of a fruitful, Spirit-filled life reveals a true connection to Christ! Lastly, we have the promise of answered prayer if we abide in Christ. God answers our prayer to display His glory, strengthen our faith, and show the world the reality of abiding in and following Him.
Are you rooted and built up in Christ today? As I went out to water my rugged-looking plant on the patio this morning, I noticed new growth had taken place in just a few days. The pruned stems were dying on the end, but the roots were providing nutrients for fresh, green growth. All of the ugly, brown leaves were hindering the plant. Once they were pruned, new life came out from the base of the plant. There is also a flower budding from the center. It still is not the prettiest plant in the world, but it is vibrant, healthy, and growing. Sometimes, our life can look messy from a distance, but God is producing new growth by pruning the areas of our lives that contain “fluffy stuff” in comparison with eternity. As He prunes, He is adding substance and depth to our hearts which produces fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. First John 2:17 reminds us, “And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever.”
Being pruned,
Brian Johnson
John 15:1-8
Have you ever had the green thumb and tried to grow something? Sometimes, it can be harder than you think. This time last year, I sowed my yard with grass after tilling up the whole thing. Some of it came up, and some of it didn’t. The soil, weather, and maintenance all had a factor in the growth process. What about house plants? Have you ever tried keeping those things alive? Recently, one of our house plants was demoted to the patio in the back yard. It is a big peace lily and was attracting too many bugs, according to my wife. I wondered if it would survive the sun and weather…
Over time, the weather has been nice to the plant. It has received some rain from time to time, and we have watered it on occasion. The main problem has not been with the surroundings of the weather, but the sun has beamed down on it and scorched many of its leaves. I have painfully watched this over the past few weeks. Finally, I decided to trim the scorched leaves and see if it would survive. I took my pruning scissors and cut off almost every stem that had browned. The plant looked greener, but it also looked like a mess. The only thing that would be able to sustain it now would be a strong root system.
Did you know that our life in Christ is like a plant or a vine? Christ is the vine, and His Father is the vinedresser. This means that Christ is all we need! Without a connection to the root, there will be no spiritual growth or fruit to prove a real work of God. Secondly, the Father is always in control of the growth. He sees the root of our hearts and knows if we are really connected with Jesus Christ. He knows what is producing fruit and what is producing green leaves. Do you remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree? He was looking for fruit on it, and in Israel, and He only saw the external religious system based on self-righteousness. He cursed it, because it did not produce organic and spiritual fruit of the Spirit— love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Next, the Father removes all of the “fluffy stuff” that is not producing real fruit. There is much activity going on today in the name of Christ, but I wonder how much of it is directed by the Holy Spirit and saturated in the Word of God. Then, all of the branches of activity and growth, that are not Christ-centered and God-honoring, are cast into the fire and burned. Man is not saved by works of righteousness, and the evidence of a fruitful, Spirit-filled life reveals a true connection to Christ! Lastly, we have the promise of answered prayer if we abide in Christ. God answers our prayer to display His glory, strengthen our faith, and show the world the reality of abiding in and following Him.
Are you rooted and built up in Christ today? As I went out to water my rugged-looking plant on the patio this morning, I noticed new growth had taken place in just a few days. The pruned stems were dying on the end, but the roots were providing nutrients for fresh, green growth. All of the ugly, brown leaves were hindering the plant. Once they were pruned, new life came out from the base of the plant. There is also a flower budding from the center. It still is not the prettiest plant in the world, but it is vibrant, healthy, and growing. Sometimes, our life can look messy from a distance, but God is producing new growth by pruning the areas of our lives that contain “fluffy stuff” in comparison with eternity. As He prunes, He is adding substance and depth to our hearts which produces fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. First John 2:17 reminds us, “And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever.”
Being pruned,
Brian Johnson
No comments:
Post a Comment