The purging only goes on as the branch accepts the purging. If the branch refuses to be purged, there is nothing that can be done to help it. If you will not accept the purging brought about by the Scriptures to correct your life and bring it into harmony with the teachings of those Scriptures, there is nothing that can be done. You will be deceived and continue to be deceived the rest of your life.
Abiding in the Vine does not force the branch to unwillingly bear fruit. The fruit appears because the branch has become a channel, and has subjected itself--we might say permitted itself--to be pruned or purged in order to bear more fruit. Unfortunately, we sometimes create temptations for ourselves and get ahead of the Lord, creating situations and problems God never intended us to face. But if we are abiding in the Vine, we won't have to worry about these problems, since He will solve them through the abiding process in us. I'm not the one making decisions, then, for the purging process works as I permit myself to be subjected to it. That purging process is the Bible cutting out habits from my life and cutting me away from the world. Then it becomes a matter of judging all temptations and activities that Satan brings through the lens of God's Word, and not through my wisdom.
Trusting God through this process becomes a pleasure. Why? Because you will b pleased with the transformation that occurs through the pruning process. It isn't a pleasure if the pruning process isn't taking place. It isn't a pleasure if the pruning process isn't taking place.
Finally, do you recall the statement quoted earlier, where it talks about why so many people find the Christian life so deplorably hard?
"The reason why many find the Christian life so deplorably hard, why they are so fickle, so variable, is, they try to attach themselves to Christ without detaching themselves from....cherished idols."
This detaching is what makes the difference. If I am not detached, the detaching takes place through the purging or pruning process. And if this pruning process detaches me from the world, then the bearing of the fruit is a joy and a pleasure.
Detaching is hard, and I have found it hard to detach from some things that I am use to doing, nothing bad but nevertheless it needs detached. These studies have answered so many questions about the Christian life that I have wondered about for years and didn't understand. I have been blessed abundantly every day as I type these up and post them. Such a wonderful blessing, I am so thankful to have come across this little booklet, I just have to share the blessings with others.
Grandma Joan
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