Abide in the Vine

Abide in the Vine

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Orange Tree

The Vine and the Branches
Galatians 5:22-23 where Paul writes,
"But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace, long-suffering kindness
goodness faithfulness gentleness and self-control."

This is the fruit that comes of abiding in Christ, the vine. We receive our nourishment from the vine and the fruit overflows in our lives. It is noticeable and undisputed evidence, against which there is no law.

Consider these words, spoken by the lord Jesus Christ.
John 15: 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.3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
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. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
This is very clear. Christ is the vine, we are the branches, from which fruit should abound, and God the father is the gardener. The only way to bear fruit is to abide in Christ. Not a brief visitation, but by abiding in Him. There are branches that bear no fruit and they are uselessly sapping the vine or tree of life producing energy from branches that would be bearing fruit. They must be culled for the good branches to manufacture good fruit.
If an unproductive branch is cut off, it will be gathered into piles, such as in the photograph and burned. The plant that remains with the fruitful branches will flourish, as with the prolific orange tree shown.

The world might just be turned upside down if everyone who claims to be a Christian would abide in the vine and bear fruit.

Grayce Pedulla Dillon © 2010