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The Fruit of The Vine
"I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing."
The fruit of the vine is often depicted as producing good outward works. Although this is right, it is not entirely true. Works are not an indicator of good fruit. Evidence of Jesus in us is.
When I think of fruit, I think of the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is found in Galatians 5.22-23:
"But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law."
When I think of fruit, I think of yielding to the Holy Spirit of God so that He may make us into God's image - expressed in the person of Jesus - so that in whatever we do and say, we look and sound like Jesus.
When I think of fruit, I think of all of the potential lying in the divine blessings, talents, and skills God has given us that we are to use for His glory; divinely given for His purpose, that can only be used when connected to Jesus because they belong to Him and they must be used for God's purpose alone by the power of His Holy Spirit. The purpose of these blessings is for Christ to be seen, not us. This can only happen when connected to the Vine (Jesus) in whom we are then granted the Holy Spirit of God when we repent and turn to Jesus.
A perfect example of this is when God filled Bezalel with His Holy Spirit (Exodus 31.1-6) - the first time we see the Holy Spirit of God actually filling someone in order to complete what they were told to by God:
"Now the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel, son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom and skill, in understanding and intelligence, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship. And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; to all who are wise-hearted I have given the skill and ability to make everything that I have commanded you:...
... the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, the mercy seat that is upon it, all the furnishings of the tent— the table [for the bread] and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the [golden] altar of incense, the [bronze] altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, the basin and its base— the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the [high] priest and the garments for his sons to minister as priests, and the anointing oil and the sweet and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them according to all that I have commanded you.”
2 Timothy 3.16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]..."
For this reason, I believe there is power in reading the Word of God directly in order to hear Him speaking through His Word. I encourage you to take a moment to lock in, remove distractions, and read this passage with me.
John 15.1-10
Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches
1 “ I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have given you [the teachings which I have discussed with you]. 4 Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers and dies; and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples.
9 I have loved you just as the Father has loved Me; remain in My love [and do not doubt My love for you]. 10 If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing."
May the Lord Jesus be praised, and may His words remain in us.
New Believers
If you're reading this as someone who doesn't have a personal relationship with Jesus, it's important for you to know that Jesus is the only way to God [Yahweh] - the only One in whom we have salvation. If you know Jesus but are still living life your own way, please read this as well.
According to 1 John 2.2, Jesus is the "... propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world."
Jesus says in John 14.6 that He is "... the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life", and that no one comes to the Father but through Him.
Jesus is God's Son. He came from heaven to earth to pay the penalty for our sins, teach us how to live, fulfil the law of the Old Testament, reveal the heart of the Father and glorify Him in His life, death, and resurrection. He alone is the only way in which we may enter into a relationship with God and eternal life (a life of beautiful communion with Him both in this life and after we die).
It is in Jesus that we find and fulfil our purposes because He is our purpose.
There is life after death. It is only in Jesus that we are saved from a life of eternal separation from God (along with His wrath) for our wrongdoing. When Jesus died (then rose again), His blood became the eternal atonement for our sins, injustice, and wrongdoing. It is only in Jesus that we are restored into beautiful relationship with the Triune God - The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit - whom we were separated from because of our own disobedience (rebellion) against God.
Jesus loves you and we all need Him. I need Him. I can't do this life without Him, and neither can you (neither can anyone). If you'd like to take a step and come into communion with Him, you can start by approaching Him and talking to Him (this is otherwise known as prayer). You start by asking for forgiveness, choosing to turn away from the old sinful ways (repenting), and choosing to follow Jesus as your Saviour, Master, and Teacher. You can use your own words or the ones below:
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, Thank you for the gift of eternal life which You gave to me when You died on the cross in my stead. You took my place and paid for my sin. You died and You rose again in the flesh. You are the only way for me to be reunited with God the Father. You are the only way for me to enter into Your Kingdom and live in fellowship with the Triune God (the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit).
I admit I am a sinner, and I need You to save me. Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I choose today to follow You, and to leave my old life behind.
Heavenly Father, please forgive my sins. Wash me and make me brand new in Jesus. I thank you for the gift of Your Holy Spirit whom I believe you will give me. I thank You that Your Holy Spirit will help me to follow You, Jesus, and mould me so that I may look more like You each day. Thank You for adopting me into Your family.
Amen.
If you prayed this prayer: Welcome Home!!!!
You've made the best decision of your life and eternity!
The good news is that from the moment you accept God's gift of eternal life and salvation in Jesus, God gives you His Holy Spirit. He will help you, and transform you - this is the part where you surrender (yield power or control) so that He can do His work in you, moulding you into God's image (this looks like Jesus). The Holy Spirit is there to help, comfort, guide, teach, and so much more. I look forward to you getting to know Him on your journey.
If you prayed this prayer, your next step is to get a Bible and find a good Bible-believing church. Here is a useful resource to help you understand your next steps. Here is a great Bible app you can use in the meantime to start reading the Word of God digitally until you buy a physical Bible. If you don't know where to start reading, start at the beginning (Genesis) and ask Holy Spirit to teach you as you read.
You can read any translation you like; in my personal journey, I have found that the Amplified version breaks down the meaning of God's Word very well, including the parts that would have gotten lost in translation when the texts were translated from Aramaic and Greek to English. It provides fuller and more detailed context for me.
Please get in touch with us by emailing hello@lwap.com.au if you would like some help finding a church. Otherwise, a search online will help you. The best way to know if you are in the right church is if they're teachings are all focused on Jesus.
Sincerely yours,
Pamela.
Jesus loves you, and He is coming back soon. Stay alert.
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