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Remaining in the Vine
Five times in His teaching on the vine
and the branches (John 15:1-7), the
Lord Jesus said, "Abide in Me." He was
making clear what is our
responsibility and what is His part in
setting priorities and making
decisions. Being a branch is like
being a servant who obeys his Master's
direction and does not take matters
into his own hands. It is not up to us
to make the plans; the Spirit of Jesus
directs us. That is what it means to
live the Spirit-filled life.
Once we have surrendered everything
and accepted our place as a branch in
the Vine, how do we remain in Him? It
takes faith, trust, and obedience. Our
faith will keep our mind focused on
the Lord, our trust will strengthen
our relationship with Him, and our
obedience will help us remain close to
Him.
God has a purpose for His "branches,"
which is to produce great amounts of
spiritual fruit. (Galatians 5:22-23)
He desires that everyone see His
transforming work in us and that they
be drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ as a
result. To make us more productive, He
will bring out the pruning knife and
remove from us whatever is not bearing
fruit. Our salvation is secure in Him,
but everything else in our lives is
subject to being cut back. God's
trimming is always done out of His
deep love for us, and we should
remember it is limited to what is
necessary.
Children of the Lord are the only ones
who can express His character, and our
ability to do so comes from living an
abiding, Spirit-filled life. In what
ways are you starting to look like
your Savior?
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