“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me, you can do nothing…” John 15: 1-5, NKJV.
Holy Father, please draw near to us, and teach us how to live in You, that the world may know, that we are Yours. For Christ’s sake; Amen.
I have written on several occasions, and in different ways, that we were created to bring glory to God. At the very least, that is how I view my life. I am a channel through which God should receive, honor, glory, and praise. Whether it is I who offer it, to Him, or, whether it is because of my life, that God is, honored, glorified, or praised. This is my “job description” for living. Everything else, is, “other duties as assigned.”
Does that mean that family, friends, and employer, should take the back burner? Not at all! Precisely, because I am to live for His glory, I am to live a responsible life. Being responsible, will reflect in the way I treat my family; the way I deal with them, when no one else is around. The love and understanding with which I regard them, is all part of bringing glory to God. Being thoughtful and kind to my friends; being there for them when they need me, will speak eloquently of who I serve. Being a honest, reliable, employee, will speak tons about the quality of my praise!
Because of this, Jesus reminds us of how important it is, to remain connected! Connecting or disconnecting the air conditioner during the summer, could represent the difference between a comfortable home, and a furnace! Our lives need to be connected to Jesus, “the Lover of our souls,” in order for us to “love one another as [He] has loved [us].” Otherwise, we will find ourselves offering mere infatuation, or sentimentalism, to others; in the name of love!
I oftentimes hear people refer to the “fruit,” mentioned in this passage, as souls. I tend to differ in my opinion, about what that fruit, is referring to. I believe, with the possibility of being wrong, that the fruit mentioned here, refers to the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5: 22, 23). Having said that, I believe it could also, indirectly, refer to souls; but souls that are won to Christ, as a result of, the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, in one’s life! This will happen, that the world may know, that we are connected to the True Vine, the Lord of our lives, Jesus, the Christ!
I am so glad that there is a fountain of “good works” from which we can drink (John 4: 13, 14). Although we were created for good works (Ephesians 2: 10), we do not always want to do good works! That is because in our flesh, there dwells, no good thing (Romans 7: 18). Therefore, we will feel thirsty again, and again. But when we are connected to the Source of Living Water, our thirst will be quenched; and kindness will flow from us naturally; because it will not be us, producing the works, but Christ, who dwells in us. In this way, the world will know, whose works they are, by knowing “Whose,” we are.