I Am The Vine You Are The Branches

Jesus spoke about being the vine and His Father being the vinedresser, but what does that mean to us? And what is this being pruned mean and those not being fruitful being cast into the fire? What does that mean? Find out in this article.

John 15

1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 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.

5 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. 6 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. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

The Lord Jesus spoke often about His Father and in this teaching after he had taken the last supper he went on to share this. After sipping of wine, that is made from the fruit of the vine, Jesus went on the say that He is the vine and that we are the branches and His Father he God of heaven and earth is the gardener, or vinedresser as He calls him here.

It is interesting to contemplate that we are part of a garden and somehow all of creation is tended by the loving Father. It is comforting to know that the Father is in control and the same Spirit that was with Jesus on earth is with us.

Jesus as the vine bore great fruit and His teachings, His commands form a basis for what we need to abide in. Jesus tells us how we are going to abide in His love.

John 15:. 9 As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and abide in His love.

2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away.

The average Christian is not open to God taking away branches. This verse clearly states that some branches are going to be taken away by the Father.

Which branches?

The branches that do not bear fruit.

Bearing fruit is more then going to church on Sundays and its more then going to Bible study on a week night. John said a person that does not obey Jesus and says that they know Him is a liar.

1 John 2: 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

John goes on to say that a person that abides in Jesus acts like Jesus Himself.

1 John 2: 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Bearing fruit would then seem to be a person that is obeying the commands of Jesus and walking and acting like Jesus in their day to day life.

and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

The process of getting better at abiding in Jesus, the process of becoming a better person that is more productive of Jesus includes pain. Pruning is a temporary pain at best, a long pain at worst, but pruning is necessary to grow good moisture rich fruit.

The Christian life can be hard to endure. Too many people it seems are being led to Jesus of late without being told of the cost that Christian life is going to take on their life. James has this to say.

James 1: 2 (NKJV) My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2 (NIV) Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

In the New King James version the trials when they have had their full work on us make us perfect. In the NIV this is said to be mature.

Both mature and perfect speak of fruit that is good fruit and ready to be picked by the vinedresser and used in His harvest.

So many people buck at trails and they are not fun when you are in the midst of them, but James the brother of Jesus knew all about trials and he didnt write this for a joke but as consolation. The only way to maturity and perfection in your faith is through trials which are in Johns account of Jesus teaching here is pruning.

God knows what He is doing in your life. He really does!

Nothing catches God by surprise! If you are going through a hard time like I am at the moment, you can rest and be assured that God knows what He is doing in your life and will complete His perfection in you and mould you into what He wants you to be.

Are you achieving things for God? Are you bearing fruit? Get ready some trials are on the way.

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Jesus cleaned the disciples by speaking the Word of God to them and uses this language to say that they had been washed in the Word.

4 Abide in Me, and I in you.

Many people are afraid of getting or being possessed by demons. But here I have a strange concept for you. Imagine being possessed by the Holy Spirit? Imagine your own flesh and carnal mind being crucified and the Holy Spirit being dominant in your life and every move and every thing you did was motivated by the Spirit of God and acted on by the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

I have met a guy that was like that. From the morning when he left his room for breakfast till the time he left us and went to bed he was anointed and led by the Spirit in everything he did and said. This comes from three hours that he spends every morning with the Lord. And the less sleep he gets the more anointed he is. On a Sunday in Jakarta he has been know to preach seven different sermons in seven different churches and has spent the whole Saturday night up in prayer. Meeting this guy, a modern day apostle is second only to meeting Jesus himself.

Do you abide in Jesus? Is He with you each day?

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.5 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.

Abiding in the love and the presence of Jesus through obedience and walking in the Spirit we produce much fruit. If the Spirit of Jesus is leading you, if you are in constant daily, hour by hour contact with Jesus then you cannot help but bear fruit.

Without Jesus we cannot do nothing.

Well nothing worthwhile. A lot is being done in the name of Christ, but only Jesus will be the judge of what stands in the last day. Some peoples works will be burnt up by the fire, some people will have wood, some silver, some gold.

Abiding in Jesus is the answer. Obeying Jesus is the key to abiding.

6 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.

I dont often meet branches that have been thrown out by God and thrown into the fire, but I read A divine revelation of Hell. By Mary Baxter and many Christians can be found in the fires of hell. I presume this is the fire Jesus is teaching of here. They may coast along in the fleshy un regenerated Christian life, not abiding in Jesus as much as they are abiding in the world and its pleasures and when they die they simply do not go to heaven as they expect to go.

A friend of mine had a vision of a whole lot of people lining up at these two great doors in suits and ties and skirts and blouses, all well dressed and they were all eager to get through the doors. The doors were opened and on the other side was the fires of hell. She said that she was really worried that many Christians were not going to heaven and yet they lived a life that was in expectancy.

In the Book of Revelation it speaks of two harvests. There is a harvest for the righteous where all of them are going to get saved and go to heaven, then there is a harvest of the wicked where the angels of the Lord are going to cast people into hell. This is the withered branches, the ones that did not abide.

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Your prayer life will be transformed when you learn to abide in Jesus as whatever you ask for the Lord will answer so that His Father is glorified in you and the answers to your prayers. It is important to be asking for things that Jesus wants for your life and not selfish things, not things that please your flesh.

Do the Lords words and His commands abide in you?

Does the Lord abide in you and you abide in him?

Do you know the commands of Jesus. I have a list of fifty of them on EzineArticles.

Let me pray for you.

Father

Father teach me how to abide in the vine. Father teach me how to walk day by day by the Holy Spirit and move with your Spirit. Teach me to obey and show me the reward that comes from obedience. Give me the courage to walk closer to you and turn my back on the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world. Let me abide from this day on and teach me each day in your word and speak to me in my prayer life. I ask this in faith and in Jesus precious name.

Amen.

Remember

"The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not
produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (Luke 3:9).

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