To appreciate these verses, John 15:4 & 5, we need to review the pruning or purging that is done on a vine. Anyone who has worked in a vineyard knows what I am refering to. We used to have a vineyard, and discovered that going through and pruning all the branches was a big job.
The spiritual pruning we are learning about is also a big job. To really understand, we need to not only know "what" does the pruning, but "who" does the pruning.
Regarding the "What" does the pruning question mean? Jesus was talking about the "Word." But accepting that the Word does the Pruning isn't easy. Why? Because we are disinclined to accept God"s counsel! You see, when the bible indentifies something that needs pruning, we usually argue against it, preferring to rationalize, saying, "I think it is all right for the Smiths, but I'm not sure it is right for the Joneses." Yet, though we prefer to apply the counsel to others, the Bible speaks directly to us for the purpose of bringing conviction and correction, which is precisely what we need.
Pruning makes it possible for us to bear more fruit. The only way to produce more fruit is through the learning process, where the things learned are personally applied. Merely knowing the Scriptures is inadequatae and won't help us. The Word only becomes profitable when the learning is applied, and fruit will be borne as a result.
Fruit-bearing isn't about getting lots of people to surrender their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. No, fruit-bearing is rather what Paul talked about in the book of Galatians when he said the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, lont-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22). All of these are the fruit--Paul uses the singular form in this instance--of the Spirit, because the Christian life reflects all of them, and it is God's plan that there be abundant fruit.
Understanding that the Word does the cleansing or pruning, we need to also consider "who" does the pruning that barings about the more abundant fruit?
It is the Vine that causes the fruit to be produced. But though the Vine produces fruit, the branch can't bear anything unless it abides in the Vine and receives its nourishment from the Vine, which results in the branch becoming a channel through which fruit is produed. This has been God's purpose for us from the beginning.
It is God's purpose for you and me too. It is up to us who we choose to follow and spend our time with. Is it Christ or satan that we abide with? We must choose, otherwise it will naturally fall to satan because he is the one who is ruling this world today as you can see, we MUST choose who we will follow, to be nutral is to be lost. That is what it amounts to. Christ is getting ready to come and redeem His people from this earth, Are you ready? Grandma Joan
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