"Abiding In Christ"

"I am the True Vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." (John 15:1 & 2) Jesus is the True Vine; to be acquainted with all that He is we must be attached; just as a branch is attached to the vine. It is really not that had to figure out; Really! The branch can not survive when it is detached from it's source of life. To experience the Peace, Joy, Faith and Love of the Lord, we must be attached to Him. Here in John 15, Jesus speaks about how this is so very vital to our relationship with Him and with the Father. He refers to the Father as the husbandman, which means the gardener or farmer; the keeper of the garden. And as such, He performs the tasks of the Husbandman of His Garden; one of which is getting rid of the dead branches that do not produce fruit. Another is purging the good branches; which means pruning; which again, is the chastising of God upon His children. This pruning is done to obtain the growth to the branches which produce the most fruit, and yet will not cause the branch to break, or the hinder the growth of the tree. Much like a tree that is pruned, this requires cutting away parts which may appear healthy, but that could take growth away from other areas that need it more. Sometimes these areas may even seem important to those that do not understand husbandry (gardening), because they can not see what is going to be achieved by what seems like such drastic pruning. But the husbandman knows best what is best for the whole tree, and for the fruit which will be produced. This is why it is so very vital that we continue to Abide in Christ; for He is the True Vine, and if we are not abiding and producing fruit in Him, we will be removed and counted as a dead branch. As long as we are Abiding in Christ we will produce the Fruit that is pleasing to the Father. If we are attached to the Vine and not bearing Fruit, it is because we have been Abiding in Him; for He says, "Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you. 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. 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 15:3-5)