Pruned by God.

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This study is dedicated to my niece, Kelsey Hartlaub…she likes prunes (just kidding)!

John 15:1-16
Vs. 1-3 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser, worker of the field, farmer).  Every branch in me that bears not fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, he purges (dresses, trims, prunes) it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

I used to pick, and then thin, apple trees in northern Oregon.  When the young apples were growing, each twig that carried apples could only grow 2 apples to the size that stores wanted.  If you left all 3 or 4 apples on that twig, they would all be smaller.  So my job was to snap off the smallest and misshapen ones, so that each twig carried no more than 2.  That was how the apple trees got purged, or pruned.  A perfect example of God and man working together to maximize fruitfulness.  We get pruned, or trimmed, by God’s Word;  by God speaking to us, through His Son Jesus Christ….he is the living Word.

Little by little, over time, as we seek and discover those fruitful aspects of fellowship in the spirit of Christ, and stand against that which is fruitless in our lives, the fruitless will wither and die off, and fruitfulness will abound, more and more.  Oh, it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen, as we abide faithfully (I didn’t say “perfectly”) in Christ.

I’ve been a housepainter for 37 years.  Every time I discover a new method, or better way of doing something, I stop doing it the old way.  I don’t grunt and groan with the effort of trying to not do it the old way.  I just replace it with a better way.  So it is with our lives in Christ.  As new, better, fruitful, efficient ways of living life come into being in our lives, introduced by the spirit of God, the old ways (sin) will just stop being appealing.   Those fruitless branches will wither and die off.   Life with God can be so practical, once we get away from religious dogmatism (adamantly held beliefs which are unproven…..in other words, which haven’t borne any fruit).

Vs. 4,5   Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me.  I am the vine, you are the branches; He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.

There is no bearing of fruit unless we abide in Christ.  Trying to bear fruit does not result in fruit.  Trying to be more loving results in failure.  Trying to be more peaceful always falls short.  Trying to be more joyful just reminds us of how miserable our lives really are.  When we abide in Christ, and his life flows freely in and through us, the fruit of the spirit grows and abounds in our lives…..first a little, then more, then more, then a lot, then a whole lot, then tons and tons and tons…….

Vs. 6-8  If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth, as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.  Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples.

I’ve heard preachers preach verse 6 to condemn men to hell.  How other than Jesus’ intent.  His preaching here was to encourage men to abide in him, not to fear not bearing fruit lest they go to hell.  How devilish!!!!  Preaching against sinning has never worked…..it’s one of those things that needs to be pruned from the lives of preachers!  Preaching abiding in Christ is what will work…..is what will bear Godly fruit!

Want a more productive prayer life?  Verse 7 tells how…..Abide in Christ!
Verse 8 tells us what glorifies God.  Not raising hands and singing!  Not going to church on Sunday!  Not going on missionary trips.  (though any of those things could be involved).  What glorifies God is when our lives are fruitful…..whatever we’re doing!  And our lives are fruitful when and because and to the degree we abide in Christ.

Vs. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

The intent of God’s word is to bring joy (a fruit of the spirit).  If someone is quoting you the Bible and it is not bringing joy, or at least is not intending to bring joy….then the Bible is not being taught or shared in its intended light.  Because if the Word of God is being conveyed the way God intended it, it will bring joy to open hearts.  Even Jesus’ death was only possible for the hope of joy.

Hebrews 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

May joy, or the hope of joy, be the standard by which all things claiming to be of God are measured.

John 15:16  You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained (prepared) you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.

Jesus glorified the Father.  We are his fruit.  And we have been prepared to go and bring forth more fruit, thus also glorifying his (and our) Father.
We have a lot in common with Jesus Christ.   Christ in you, the hope of glory.  (Colossians 1:27)  Go, live in Christ, eat of Christ, and you will end up bearing lots of spiritual fruit, to the glory of God.

PS.  Every time I get caught up in thinking, “Where am I at with God,” or “What should I be doing with God,” or “What does God want me to be doing,” or even “I don’t even know who I am anymore.”    I always know that there is one place I should always be, one thing I should always be doing…one thing where I know that I know that I’m always, always, always right with God.  Abiding in Christ.  Whenever the urge strikes me, then, that I should be doing more for God, the first thing I do is get into Christ…..and then His peace makes everything ok.   And then lots of good ideas, plans and actions come out of that.
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Related studies:
Bearing Spiritual Fruit
Flavored by Christ
Fruitfulness in Christ – Colossians 1:1-15