“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.” – John 15
Jesus says here that those who bear fruit are pruned in order to bear MORE fruit.
What does this mean for us?
First, let’s look at what pruning is and why it’s important?
Google says:
Pruning is the practice of selectively removing plant parts (branches, buds, spent flowers, etc.) to manipulate the plant for horticultural and landscape purposes. Why Prune Plants? Always cut out dead, dying, diseased or damaged wood.
Pruning a plant or a vine or a flower helps the plant to GROW. If you leave the dead, dying, decaying parts – it affects the entire plant. Those things must be removed AND they can only be removed by the Lord.
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. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing… – John 15
Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. – 2 John 1:9
John would not contradict himself and also let’s remember that there are ZERO errors in God’s Word.
Our abiding in God is only done because we actually HAVE God. In other words, once you are JUSTIFIED in Christ then you will CONTINUE in Him. This is SANCTIFICATION: the pruning times. Once we die and go to Heaven, we will receive new bodies and be made perfect. This is GLORIFICATION.
This is GREAT news sisters. We do not get saved by WORKS and we do not remain saved by WORKS. God actually says all our good works are like filthy rags: menstrual rags ladies! DISGUSTING. All that we do that is good is because of Christ. Isaiah 64:6
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, – Titus 3:5
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; – 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. – Hebrews 12:6
For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. – Hebrews 12:10
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:11
See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; – Hebrews 12:15
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. – Revelation 3:19
PRUNING IS A CONTINUAL, LIFELONG, ACT BY THE LORD TO MAKE US MORE HOLY AND LESS LIKE THE FLESH.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2 Corinthians 5:17
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. – Colossians 3:9-10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? – Romans 2:4
If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. – Hebrews 12:8
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, – Proverbs 3:8
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:22-24
Sisters, removing sin from our lives is the life of a Christian. Again, this happens only through the kindness of God for us – because we are His children.
Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, – Psalm 94:12
We need to pray for this pruning – not only because it shows that we’re truly in Christ but because we were CREATED for good works. See Ephesians 2.
Pruning may be painful but that pain is due to THE FLESH holding onto the sin it desires and loves. Paul talks about this in Romans 7. The flesh is still around, though we are completely SAVED by Jesus’ blood. GALATIANS 5. Our flesh wages war against the flesh and the pruning God does is HELPING in this battle.
We need to be willing to deal with the PAIN in order to have sin removed from us. Again, we MUST see this as a KINDNESS. We don’t deserve to be saved from any sin. It’s such LOVE ladies!
JESUS PAID OUR ENTIRE PRICE FOR OUR SINS. ALL OF IT. HE IS PERFECT AND YET, HE TOOK IT ALL. DONE. IT IS FINISHED. And then He CONTINUES to help us while we live this life – to make us more and more Holy. It is SO gracious.
And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. – Matthew 5:30
The pain of this pruning is NOTHING in light of our eternal JOY in Christ. Cling to Him sister. PRAY FOR HIS PRUNING. Pray for Him to reveal sin in you: what areas of your flesh are decaying, dead, and diseased by sin? Cut off sin.
Practically speaking this means we CHANGE.
We stop watching what we used to watch. We stop listening to what we used to listen to. Anything that glorifies sin and mocks righteousness needs to be removed! Now.
In this journey, we turn from Sin and we produce MORE FRUIT.
WHAT FRUIT?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5: 22-23
Your fruit will look like CHRIST: Holiness.
LET’S LOOK AT GALATIANS 5 AGAIN
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13
WITH LOVE JILLIAN 