John 15:1-7 Branch & Friend

Most of us don’t cultivate grapevines, and I certainly wouldn’t know what I was doing if I tried.  But that was a common thing in Jesus’ time and His disciples would have understood many of the truths He was teaching from this example.  My commentary said there are actually two pictures here – of branches and of friends.  It said, “As branches, we have the privilege of sharing His life, and the responsibility of abiding.  As friends, we have the privilege of knowing His will, and the responsibility of obeying.”

Jesus spoke of us abiding in Him.  My commentary said, “This abiding relationship is natural to the branch and the vine, but it must be cultivated in the Christian life.  It is not automatic.”  We can’t just think that it will happen.  Instead, we are moved to worship, prayer, study of the Word, sacrifice, and service, it says.

As branches, we are pruned by God to maximize our benefit to Him.  “The greatest judgment God could bring to a believer would be to let him along, let him have his own way.  Because God loves us, He prunes us and encourages us to bear more fruit for Hi glory … Your heavenly Father is never nearer to you than when He is pruning you … Sometimes He simply uses the Word to convict and cleanse us … Sometimes He must chasten us.  At the time, it hurts when He removes something precious from us, but as the spiritual crop is produced, we see that the Father knew what He was doing.”

As to the friends picture, I read, “Our friendship to each other and to the Lord is not perfect, but His friendship to us is perfect.”  He wants us to love others, and because we are imperfect, that may seem hard to do with some.  It said, “Christian love is not basically a feeling; it is an act of the will.”

“Our friendship with Christ involves love and obedience.  But it also involves knowledge:  He lets us in on His plans … One of the greatest privileges we have as His frie3nds is that of learning to know God better and getting in on God’s secrets.  Each of us is as close to God as we choose to be.”  Our abiding is a form of our choosing, I think.

Father, I really didn’t know what abiding was all about until I took Experiencing God.  I’m still amazed that You call me Your friend.  I’m so thankful for all You continue to show me and I am humbled by how You’ve chosen to use me to show others more about You.  Help me to endure the pruning.  Show me what You have in mind as a result.  Help me to obey.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford