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John 15
This verse is often cited in sermons and devotionals and other worship materials. It is most often used in the context of encouraging others to be more fruitful to, though someone should go about doing that is anyone's guess really, the sermon or devotional reading will move from this verse on to verses 5 - 6
And while the message here is an important one what is often over looked is what happens to those who already bear fruit. Go back up and read verse 2 again. To those who do bear fruit God prunes them in order that they may bear even more fruit. Most people tend to skip over this part because after all when your doing what God wants you to do everythings peachy right ? Thats not what this verse says though this verse says that as you begin to bear fruit God will continue to strip away every thing in your life that does not bear fruit, relationships, jobs, hobbies whatever it is that does not bear fruiGod will strip away so that all is left is a fruit bearing vine branching off from the true vine of Jesus Christ.
As I write this I remember the story of the rich young ruler and Jesus. The rich young ruller desperate to make it to heaven comes and asks jesus what he has to do. Jesus replies that he must keep the commmands of God and pushing still the ruler insists that he already does that but wants more. So Jesus Tells him to sell every thing he has give the profits to the poor and then to come with Jesus and live the life of a homeless man. Jesus gave the man the traditional first steps so that the ruller maybear fruit for God but when he saw that the young man was all ready bearing fruit in this way he looked and saw the things that were keeping him of bearing even more and tried to strip those away but the man could not let go of those things .
This is why so many people do not meet thier potential in Christ because we think that when we begin to do things right and have faith and bear fruit that things will get easier. Some of us may not go that far and acknowledge that as we begin to grow in Christ, Satan will attack us even more. What none of us really expect is that God will make things hard on us. Now I want to explain that the only reason things are hard are because w we want to cling to things that are of earthly importance, but God on the other hand wants us to increase in the kingdom of heaven not in the realm of Satan which the world tends to put stock in because it provides rewards in this life. when we reconcile the pruning that God does to us with our increase in glory in the kingdom of heaven which only God can provide then the pruning does not become hurtfull. will it be difficult ? Absolutely because we have been raised on the standards of this world and to change those and be looked down upon by our peers ( even the Christian ones ) will be difficult and definately uncomfortable. But not hurtfull, unfortunatley that reconciling is all but impossible for us and so the pruning will be painfull in many cases and this is where a lto of christians lose faith and why Athiests and other can not accept that the things that happen to people in this world can be because of a good God. But we know that God is Good so when things that you cling to begin to be taken from your or " pruned" know that it is so you may bear more fruit for God and increase in the kingdom of heaven.
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful
This verse is often cited in sermons and devotionals and other worship materials. It is most often used in the context of encouraging others to be more fruitful to, though someone should go about doing that is anyone's guess really, the sermon or devotional reading will move from this verse on to verses 5 - 6
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
And while the message here is an important one what is often over looked is what happens to those who already bear fruit. Go back up and read verse 2 again. To those who do bear fruit God prunes them in order that they may bear even more fruit. Most people tend to skip over this part because after all when your doing what God wants you to do everythings peachy right ? Thats not what this verse says though this verse says that as you begin to bear fruit God will continue to strip away every thing in your life that does not bear fruit, relationships, jobs, hobbies whatever it is that does not bear fruiGod will strip away so that all is left is a fruit bearing vine branching off from the true vine of Jesus Christ.
As I write this I remember the story of the rich young ruler and Jesus. The rich young ruller desperate to make it to heaven comes and asks jesus what he has to do. Jesus replies that he must keep the commmands of God and pushing still the ruler insists that he already does that but wants more. So Jesus Tells him to sell every thing he has give the profits to the poor and then to come with Jesus and live the life of a homeless man. Jesus gave the man the traditional first steps so that the ruller maybear fruit for God but when he saw that the young man was all ready bearing fruit in this way he looked and saw the things that were keeping him of bearing even more and tried to strip those away but the man could not let go of those things .
This is why so many people do not meet thier potential in Christ because we think that when we begin to do things right and have faith and bear fruit that things will get easier. Some of us may not go that far and acknowledge that as we begin to grow in Christ, Satan will attack us even more. What none of us really expect is that God will make things hard on us. Now I want to explain that the only reason things are hard are because w we want to cling to things that are of earthly importance, but God on the other hand wants us to increase in the kingdom of heaven not in the realm of Satan which the world tends to put stock in because it provides rewards in this life. when we reconcile the pruning that God does to us with our increase in glory in the kingdom of heaven which only God can provide then the pruning does not become hurtfull. will it be difficult ? Absolutely because we have been raised on the standards of this world and to change those and be looked down upon by our peers ( even the Christian ones ) will be difficult and definately uncomfortable. But not hurtfull, unfortunatley that reconciling is all but impossible for us and so the pruning will be painfull in many cases and this is where a lto of christians lose faith and why Athiests and other can not accept that the things that happen to people in this world can be because of a good God. But we know that God is Good so when things that you cling to begin to be taken from your or " pruned" know that it is so you may bear more fruit for God and increase in the kingdom of heaven.
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