Abiding With The True Vine

Isaiah 5:1-4 shows how no matter how faithful God was, Israel was still disobedient:

1 Now I will sing for the one I love
a song about his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a rich and fertile hill.

2 He plowed the land, cleared its stones,
and planted it with the best vines.
In the middle he built a watchtower
and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks.
Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes,
but the grapes that grew were bitter.

3 Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah,
you judge between me and my vineyard.

4 What more could I have done for my vineyard
that I have not already done?
When I expected sweet grapes,
why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?

However, we serve an awesome God who is full of grace and compassion. God sent us His son Jesus so that we may be reconciled with Him. Jesus used a parable for His followers about the vine and the branches.

John 15:1-7:

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.

3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “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.

6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

In this passage, we learn that Jesus is the true vine. And God is the vinedresser or gardener who prunes us. Every part of us that does not bear fruit, He takes away. The parts of us that bear fruit, He prunes so that they may bear more fruit. As believers, it is important that we produce good fruit. Galatians 5:22-23, shows us the fruits of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control". It is key to have these elements operate big in our lives. If we would just abide with Jesus, our true vine, then He will abide in us.

I came across these definitions for abide:

"to wait for
to endure without yielding
to bear patiently
to accept without objection
to remain stable or fixed in a state
to continue in a place"

Seeing and understanding the meaning behind "abide", shows that it is extremely important for us to stay linked up with Jesus.

Choosing not to abide in Jesus results in the consequence of being like the withered branch that is thrown away in the fire. Choosing to abide in Jesus produces the benefit allowing Jesus to abide in you and He grants us whatever we ask in His will.

So thank God for a second opportunity to be able to abide in the vine. This opportunity is extended to everyone who hears the gospel message. It is our job as believers that we spread the gospel message abroad. We can effectively fulfill the purpose that God has placed us here to do, by abiding in Him.

Created over 1 year ago