“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” – John 15:1-5
There is a popular Christian mantra that goes something like this: “God saved me. Now, I have to go and do something for Him.” Though usually expressed in a heart of gratitude, this popular evangelical chant misses the heart of what Jesus truly desires for His followers. We see a glimpse of Jesus’ heart when He said, “I am the Vine, you are the branches.” Branches can only have one responsibility and that is to hang onto the Vine. Jesus’ heart for you and I is that we grab a hold of Him and let Him live His life in and through us. To say it differently, everything He desires to do through your life, He’ll do out of the overflow of your intimate love relationship with Him.
How does your responsibility as a branch change the way you see the Christian life?
