Branch Power: Stepping Stones For Victorious Christ-Centered Living #3

I am the vine. You are the branches. If I abide in you, and you abide in Me, you will bear much fruit: Apart from me, you can do nothing.

J E S U S

In one of my favorite passages of scripture, John 15:1-17, Jesus describes the miracle of how a little branch can be extremely important in His vineyard, which is the body of Christ on full display. Here the Father is being who He is -- the Vine Dresser -- Jesus being who He is -- the Vine -- and we mere human beings being who we are -- individual branches throughout the vineyard. Then there is the Divine essence of God (Who IS God)  --The Holy Spirit -- flowing throughout the vineyard. All three persons of the Trinity are in action, but one God, with one will, one being and one purpose, working miracles of grace in each branch. And God is accomplishing great things in each little branch -- IF. I say "IF" because this is the perfect description between the Father, Jesus and us. And we can be very successful (fruitful) IF we do just ONE thing. We branches must intentionally choose to maintain the connection by abiding or remaining.

The Problem With Being A Rule Maker

All too often, when people hear a really good teaching, they spend a whole lot of time making up rules for being able to to do what we have learned. We work real hard at keeping those rules, but eventually get frustrated because this requires doing whatever we do in each ones own power. Such legalism stifles spiritual renewal and spiritual growth. This teaching is not about doing a lot of stuff to be productive branches on Jesus Kingdom Vine. Nothing could be further from the truth.  All Jesus is saying is He wants us to BE ourselves, with our unique gifts and graces, IN Christ and Christ IN us.  IF we don't abide like this, Jesus says we are like a detached branch.  It dies. And it is discarded in the fire. It doesn't matter how much pruning the Father does with the rest of the vineyard, if we aren't abiding, we are not thriving.

Something Supernatural

However, according to this ancient wisdom, something supernatural can occur in you, and in me, when we apply the principle of simply being a part -- our part -- of the vineyard. Once we have Jesus as our Savior, and we have The Holy Spirit within us, under God's Eternal Covenant, we receive the power to be fully alive. Our ability to bear much fruit depends entirely on our relationship with Jesus. It does NOT depend on our religiosity or our ability to make or keep rules. Overtime, the life giving Vine causes we branches to mature. We may produce little green buds, then beautiful flowers, and then the fruit of the Spirit, and Disciples. But it can NEVER happen without choosing to abide.

The Ways Of Spiritual Renewal & Growth

Rock-solid living in this quicksand world requires we first receive Jesus and His teachings. The Holy Spirit gives us the stuff to be enough in Christ Jesus; therefore, make Jesus Lord of your life, and simply rest in Him, His vineyard (His Church,) let The Spirit flow through you,  and let God the Father do all the necessary work in you and through you in order for you to bear much fruit, and for God's fruitfulness to last, until He calls you home.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

 

We want to become everything You want us to be. Give us grace, today, to rest --or abide -- in Jesus. And through this blessed relationship, which gives us access to You, cause your Holy Spirit to flow through us, as You apply the work of the Christ of the Cross, and of The Holy Eternal Covenant, that You have made with us. We don't want to get detached in anyway. We want to remain. Hold on tight to us, as we hold on tight to You. Please, produce in us MUCH fruit, and let is last forever. Do this, we pray in order that we may glorify You by our very lives, and that we may demonstrate to the whole world that we are Jesus's Disciples, indeed. Help us demonstrate Your "branch power."

In Jesus Name I pray.

Amen.

For more information regarding how to demonstrate "Branch Power," read Rock Solid Living In A Quicksand World - Rewind. You will be glad you did.
SoJourner