The Vine and The Branches

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Our passage on Sunday was John 15:1-17 and was a great reminder of what a life with Christ is like. Jesus is the vine and God is the gardener that attends to the vine. We are the branches that are attached to the vine when we are in Christ. 

As the Gardener, God desires for the branches of the vine to bear much fruit. For us to bear fruit, God must cut off the dead branches and prune those who are attached to the vine. God uses discipline us and allows adversity to come into our lives so that we can bear fruit, His fruit. It can be a painful process, but with God no pain is wasted. 

The fruit we are to produce is love. We are to love as Christ loves us in John 15:12-13; we are to lay down our lives for each other, sacrifice for each other. How are we growing in love?

To love and grow in love we must stay connected to the vine, Jesus. We must dwell with Jesus, spend time with Him and put our faith and Trust in Him. As we experience God's love for us we will grow in our love for each other and it will effect how we will love. As we love we will experience more and more of God's love.

Let us love like Jesus!