“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
John 15:2 NKJV
My wife has a much greener thumb than I do. I can cut the grass and edge the lawn, but that’s about it. She takes care of the rest of the lawn, including the bushes we have out front. From time to time, she has to trim and prune them to remove the withered and dead branches and leaves. She also maintains the rest of the branches so that our bushes continue to beautify the front of our home. Her work is a perfect example of God’s work in us.
Jesus told the disciples that He is the vine, and God is the vinedresser. in order to produce fruit, we, the branches, must abide in Jesus. We can’t bear fruit without being connected to the vine. And if we are not bearing fruit, He will take us away. This is a model of our salvation. Salvation shouldn’t be just a one-time conversion event. We must also stay connected to (i.e. abide in) Jesus so that we can continue to grow and produce fruit. As Jesus tells His disciples, God is glorified through our bearing much fruit (John 15:8). And as we bear fruit, He will even prune us to bear more.
So, let’s continue to keep our branches in the Vine through studying His Word, praying, obeying, serving and communing with one another. We’ll bear fruit, and He’ll make sure we keep on bearing it.