My life verse is found on this book which is John 15:12. The emphasis is Christ's deity.
Let us go over John Chapter 15 verses 1-17. I'll just discuss my personal reflections on said text therefore it is not as exhaustive as typical commentaries present them. Enjoy :-)
The True Vine
It is innate for us to idolize or follow someone. We set heroes and models to which we pattern our lives. By saying that He is the TRUE vine, we may expect that there are other vines=idols which we are prone of following.
Indeed Jesus is the true vine because in Him there is no lie and every branch attached to it obtains life and is well-sustained. God is truth and His every intention to prosper us in all aspects is undoubtedly genuine. He alone could give us true and unconditional love. The kind of life He demonstrated deserves man's unceasing applause.
A vinedresser is the one who cultivates the plants. In our desire to grow in our faith, it is God who sustains the same. We just have to submit to His dominion and He knows how to make our lives productive.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;[a] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
If we are in Christ, bearing fruit is expected of us. What is this fruit being referred to?
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Take note of the verb IS which is singular. The fruits is LOVE and the list that goes on simply characterizes love. When a person has love then he is joyful, a peacemaker, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and he exercises self-control. No law is better than love in bringing out the best in a person :-)
Did you notice the progression? We as branches attached to Christ that bear fruit need PRUNING in order to bear MORE fruit. For me, pruning entails life's trials which if dealt with heavenly wisdom and spiritual maturity will surely strengthen one's relationship and faith in Him. If a virtue is put to test then its foundation is fortified after the trial as it is made away of its weak points and the necessary reinforcement is administered.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
In approaching the Lord like in prayer, our guilt/sin must not refrain us from doing the same. God said that His blood cleansed us from ALL our sins (past, present and future) and the work is FINISHED. Bearing that in mind, we can boldly come to Him at all times.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
There is no partnership if the parties involved do not have a mutual agreement as to their relationship. In abiding in Christ, He must also abide in us. Now, what is exactly these points mean?
Abiding in Christ--- is our commitment to read the Bible and to live out what it teaches us. Follow His example, following His commandments and following His will demonstrate that we abide in Him.
Him abiding in us--- is allowing Christ to live in us. In keeping our hearts pure by confession and avoiding sin then He comfortably dwells in us. If we let sin to rule over us the the Spirit will leave us. It will always be with us but it is different when it stays in us.
We do read the Bible but we can only do it so consistently and with passion if the Holy Spirit is in us/abides in us. As we digest His word, we feed our spirits that connect us to our great King. Why do we read the Bible? We read it because we encounter God in His word and the more we understand the Bible the more we have the Lord in us. If we have the Lord in us, we can avoid sinning and He is at home in our hearts.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Psalm 119:11
Your word I have hidden in my heart,That I might not sin against You
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
After the pruning, we bear more fruit, but if He abides in us and we in Him the we bear MUCH fruit. So that's the key to have a fruitful Christian walk. APART from God, we can do nothing, this is very true that I cannot expound it anymore.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
If we depart from God, "other vine" will gather us and what would they do with us? they will burn us. Without Christ in our lives is really HELLISH. Life is not easy with Christ but it is unimaginable if life is lived without Him. The contrast is in found in
The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
Psalm 1:1-6.
1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
God grants the desire of our hearts because if He abides in us and we abide in Him, we desire for things which are according to His will. He is more than willing to give us things which He himself desired for us and we only know of them when we stay close by His side (in His word). Pray for a pure heart then He will give you one :-)
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
All of our endeavors gear towards pleasing God and glorifying His name. When the people around us observe how wondrous are His works in our lives then they will praise God. People are blessed if we are loving, kind, gentle, merciful, gracious and etc. Every good thing in us shall point towards His goodness.
Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
(Sorry, I have to stop here because I am already sleepy and I am travelling to Davao tomorrow. I will continue with the remaining verses 9-17 in my next post. I cannot edit this now therefore pardon me for the grammatical error if there is any. Good night and God bless you)
Love and Joy Perfected
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and thatyour joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and thatyour joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
pic taken from gnostic.org
Psalm 119:9-11
9How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
That I might not sin against You.
Psalm 1:1-3
1.Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
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