Are You
Abiding?
Luke 13:6-9 He spake also
this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and
he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the
dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit
on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the
ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year
also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit,
well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
When
we plant any seed or set out any plant why do we do it? Are we not
doing it for the purpose of seeing or partaking of the fruit of what we
planted? When we plant vegetables we expect to eat of the fruit of what
we planted. When we plant a rose we expect to see the roses when they
bloom. If we plant grass we expect it to live and make a beautiful lawn.
What
happens if we don’t have blooms or fruit within the
appropriate time? If the grass doesn't come up, what do we do? We start
over again. We cut down the plant or tree and plant another. We replant
the grass. The point is we are not so much interested in the planting
as we are in the fruit of what we planted.
John 15:1-6 I am the true
vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth
not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he
purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean
through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in
you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the
vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the
branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth
much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me,
he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and
cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
As
with any birth, when we are born again, it is just the beginning of our
new life. The Word of God is planted in us and we begin to grow in the
Lord. The idea is that we bear the fruit that we are abiding in Christ.
Notice the warning: if we do not bear fruit, what will happen? The
Father will take us out of Christ and men will gather us and cast us
into the fire.
We cannot abide in Christ and not
bear much fruit. As we abide, His life is flowing into us. What excuse
can we have for not bearing fruit? How do we know if we are bearing
fruit? Are you becoming more and more like Christ in all you do and
say? The fruit is always like the tree or vine the branch is
attached to. Are you allowing the Father to purge you so you will bear
more and more fruit? To purge means to cleanse or prune. This is a
continual happening. Is it happening in your life? Are you becoming a
doer of all Jesus says or just claiming to be saved because you joined
a church? Those who are abiding in Christ are bearing much fruit.
Meditate on it!
Holy Father, give us a hunger
to bring forth the fruit that we are abiding in Christ. May we let His
very life flow through us. A branch has no life of its own, it all
flows from the vine. We ask and believe we receive in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
