“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
“Being a branch to the true Vine means living with Christ, breathing with Christ, doing day-to-day life with Christ. It’s the ongoing awareness of His presence, even when there’s no feeling of His presence. Our lives become witness to His witness.” —Beth Moore, Chasing Vines
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
John 15:1,2
“cut off” – Greek – “airo” - means to cut off, take away or lift up, pick up.
“Stand up, pick up your mat and walk!”
John 5:8
“they picked up stones to throw at him”
John 8:59a
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38,39
He “picks up” every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
John 15:2
2 Principles of Pruning
1) Pruning feels
No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
Hebrews 12:11
I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne’er a word said she;
But oh! The things I learned from her,
When sorrow walked with me. —Robert Browning Hamilton
“…while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
John 15:2b
2) Pruning feels
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Romans 5:3-5