“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5
Oswald Chambers asked a pertinent question, “Are we living in such human dependence upon Jesus Christ that His life is being manifested moment by moment?” I have learned that questions will provoke and prick our hearts, and in doing so, there is the opportunity for one to take action for the things of God. Questions will bring one to the threshold of a choice. In this sense, confrontation is not a bad thing. Pressure often is the vehicle used to produce spiritual fruit. In my walk with the Lord, I have found it to be a tool used by the Lord again and again.
The branch can do nothing without the nutrient giving vine. The branch merely bares that which the vine makes possible. This is what the Lord Jesus is teaching us in today’s verse. As we abide in Christ, He will produce the fruit in our lives. This is an inward work in each believer that will result in the manifestation of an outward showing of the power of God. Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in me” (John 15:4).
My wife and I have many persimmon trees on our property but, there is one that stands out from all of the others. It does not appear to be a tree that one would ever expect a bountiful supply of fruit. But every fall, this straggly tree is a powerhouse of fruit. This puny tree has something going on that no one can see. It is abiding in the vine and is bearing the fruit to prove it. Remember, we can do nothing without Christ.
Thanks for visiting and thanks for praying,
Bro. Tracy
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