SUNDAY INSPIRATION

Abiding in the Vine

John 15:1-5 “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 does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”(NKJV)

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples. He is teaching a simple message with profound depth to it. He uses a metaphor speaking about the symbolic connection between a vine and its branches and he uses this to emphasize the relationship between Christ and the believer.

Christ is the vine and you and I are the branches. Just like the vine is the source of life for the branches, so too is Christ the source of life for every one of us. The vine provides the water and the other nutrients that the branches need to

grow and produce grapes. According to 2 Peter 1:3, Christ produces everything we need for life and godliness.

What are the things that we require daily? Wisdom in caring for our kids, courage to face the day, peace when we under pressure. These and much more we can draw from the vine.

The essence of a fruitful Christian life is to stay connected to the Vine .

To abide means to be connected and intentional about our relationship with God. This connection to God is what allows us to produce much fruit (Gal 5:22-23).

However, we are also cautioned that God, who is the vinedresser, will take away every branch that does not bear fruit. The role of the vinedresser apart from planting ,fertilizing and watering the vine is to remove the branches that do not bear fruit and prune the ones that do bear fruit. Branches need to be pruned. The fruitful branches are refined and improved by the Father, so that everything that is old and dead will not hinder the new fruit.

Although pruning might be painful, it is certainly not punishment. It is just one more act of God’s love towards us.

Pruning takes place because God wants us to be spiritually productive.

Stay connected to the vine.