Are You a Branch?

" 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" JOHN 15:5.

The Lord Jesus Christ has a unique way of taking natural things, giving them a spiritual application. Here He uses for His illustration a vine.

Vines were commonplace in Israel during Jesus’ day and of course still are. Fresh grapes, juice, wine and sugar-rich energizing raisins, (a valuable food that can be stored for long periods) made vines well worth cultivating. Here in the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus calls Himself the true vine and those who belong to Him the branches.

Picture a vine. It’s strong stem grows out of the earth, spreading out it’s branches which bear clusters of sweet, appetising grapes. In order for grapes to develop, sap must pass through the branches, but first of all must come by way of the main stem, from the roots which in turn draw the necessary life-giving substances form the soil.

That is what Jesus meant when he said "APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING" If anyone is to bear fruit that is honouring to God, the only way it can be done is through dependence upon Christ. He is the only true Vine. When an individual comes to have faith in Him as Saviour and Lord, it is as though Almighty God, the Divine Gardener, grafts another branch into the vine with the intention that it should produce fruit to His glory.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ has the right to be called the true vine. There have been, and indeed there still are many who would claim this honour for themselves. Many false prophets have gone into the world.( 1 John 4:1) If anyone should become attached to such wild vines, they will produce only sour grapes. Jesus alone is worthy!

This mighty vine purposely allowed men to cut Him to the ground. He died on the cross to obtain forgiveness of sins for us. But praise be to God, He sprang back to life and since then has produced many fruit-bearing branches! Are you one of his branches. Are you abiding in the vine? If not, I’ve got good news, you can be!

Sap is the life- blood of all growing things. When a person receives Christ, through faith and becomes a branch in the true vine, he receives the Holy Spirit who is the third person of the Godhead. Sap produces fruit on a natural vine. The Holy Spirit produces in the believer the spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and
self-control. (Galatians 5 :22) All of this is honouring to God and it is his intention that everyone should produce such fruit.

God never forces Himself on anyone, but gives us freedom of choice. Therefore you can choose to be a branch in the true vine, or you can choose to be separate from the vine. But consider this, the time will come when the Lord of the harvest will gather the fruitful branches to Himself, whilst the dead ones
He will burn in the fire.

Philip D. Tollett.

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