ABIDING IN THE VINE

John 15:1-6    15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth 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 abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth 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.

I am the vine, the Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch that doesn’t produce fruit.
He prunes the branches that do bear fruit, so they will produce even more.
Through the word we have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness…

Christ Jesus is the vine, and God is the gardener who cares for the branches to make them fruitful.  The branches are all those who claim to be followers of Christ.

The fruitful branches are true believers who by their belief with Christ produce much fruit.

The ones who turn from following Christ, and are unproductive, even after making a commitment to follow Jesus. They will be separated from the vine and will not have Gods favor in their lives.  Dead branches do not produce fruit. Jesus makes a distinction between two kinds of pruning.  Cut off the branches and cut back branches. The fruitful branches are cut back to promote growth.

God sometimes must discipline us to strengthen our character and faith.

But the branches that don’t bear fruit are cut off at the trunk, not only because they are worthless but also because they often infect the rest of the vine.

People who don’t bear fruit for God or who try to block the efforts of Gods followers will be cut off from his life giving power.  Many people try to be good honest people who do what is right.
But Jesus says that the only way to live a truly good life is to stay close to Him, like a branch attached to a vine.

Apart from Christ our efforts are unfruitful. God is glorified when people come into a right relationship with him, and begin to produce much fruit.

John 15:7    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.

If you continue to live in a relationship with Christ and you believe His words as being the truth, and you receive his words as truth, you can ask for something and it shall be done.

Not only do you receive what you ask for, but since you believed you received, your bore fruit, and God the Father was glorified.  When you glorify God, his favor comes upon your life good things start happening.

Philemon 6   ⁶ That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

 You need to start acknowledging every good thing which is in you, in Christ Jesus. In that way by faith everything in us will become effective for our lives.  If you want healing, acknowledge what God has invested in you when you were saved.

When you were saved, God invested prosperity, victory, salvation, all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. All that is needed is for you to believe and to abide in Christ Jesus.

Continue to read the word,

Brother Andy