John 15

 How have you experienced pruning?  Have you suffered the loss of someone, or some vital part of your life, that has awakened God’s presence in you?  Nearly everyone has or will go through stretches of suffering and pain. I wonder what Jesus’s words sounded like to the disciples. How were the words received?  I imagine if Jesus were to ‘show up’ tomorrow morning and say these same words to us in a personal way, what would the impact be in our lives?  I’m hoping I would soak in His presence and not run  I’m guilty of glossing over these words, minimizing the influence they have for the here and now  

“Many of those who are humiliated are not humble. Some react to humiliation with anger, others with patience, and others with freedom. The first are culpable, the next harmless, the last just.”— Bernard of Clairvaux

“In this glorious passage, notice three important words. The first is the little word “in” (used seven times). “Every branch in me.” To be saved means to be “in Christ.” Notice also the word “fruit” (used six times) and “abide” (nine times). Abiding in Christ is how we bear fruit. 

Fruit, of course, is God’s life showing up in a believer. The fruit of God’s Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering (see Galatians 5:22-23). Other fruit is effective prayer (v. 7), continuous fruit (v. 11), and joy celestial—if a person has this fruit in their life, they will invite people into God’s presence by their very lives, if not also by their spoken word. 

When a branch in Christ does not bear fruit, the Father trims it off either by setting it aside or by death. This doesn’t mean we lose our salvation, since we’re talking about fruit-bearing here, not eternal life. Even if a branch bears fruit, the Father may prune it so it bears even more. Sometimes it hurts when He takes out of our lives what hinders us, but in the end it means more fruit. 

The Father also cleanses us through the supernatural power of His Word. The only way to abide in Him is to allow Him to cleanse us daily and to continue in His love. This means constant communion with God—at your kitchen sink, in the car, at the office, and on the street. 

It’s our choice whether we abide in Christ. We can break our fellowship by allowing sin in our lives, by stepping out of God’s will, and by worldliness.” -  J Vernon McGee