Replies

Thank you oh so very much for sharing your beautiful testimony and exhortations!

And believe me, Christ knows very well now to assist us in CRUCIFYING THE FLESH. He's even well able to manage layers of such training without our explicitly asking for it at a given time on a given issue. After all . . . haven't we given him carte blanche to overhaul us and conform us to His image as we professed that HE IS -->OUR<-- LORD, MASTER, SAVIOR, ALL IN ALL?

Indeed. We must all love Him surpassingly above all else - which is the one and only Great Commandment (Matthew 22.)

And part of that is learning that without Him, we can do nothing - and also, so that we can bring forth Spiritual fruit, we will be pruned.

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. - John 15:1-5

And the Spiritual fruits are these:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

The pruning may hurt, but it is always for our own good. Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was for the good:

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - 2 Corinthians:7-9

And if we love or would love something or someone too much, we may be spared the temptation (Lord's Prayer.) For instance, not many Christians have to deal with extreme wealth or poverty.

And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men [it is] impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. – Matthew 10:23-25

Two [things] have I required of thee; deny me [them] not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [in vain]. – Proverbs 30:7-9

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. - Matthew 6:33

God could have taken the Hebrews on a straight line from Egypt to the promised land. But He didn't. After ten jaw-dropping miracles, He brought them to the Red Sea. Egyptians behind, Red Sea ahead - it was their opportunity to believe Him, to trust Him.

For the LORD thy God [is] a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God. - Deuteronomy 4:24

Each of us may experience many Red Sea "prunings" in life. And I reckon the slower we are to trust Him, the more of them we might have to face.

Moreover, Christians should always beware the distractions and idolatries of mortal life.

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines [have] tender grapes. – Song of Solomon 2:15

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth [it] not, then cometh the wicked [one], and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth [it]; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. - Matthew 13:18-23

Let go and let God. Love Him. Believe Him. Trust Him.

Maranatha, Jesus!!!

Great post, A-G!

"Our vines have tender grapes."

There aren't many verses in Scripture more delicate or gentle as that one.

"...and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Amen. We all face trials and difficulties and anxious moments. very one of them is given by God to make us trust in Him alone and to conform us to His perfect Son.

And then we come to the OT truth revealed more clearly in the NT by Christ when He tells us those branches are growing from the "the true vine," the root of God, Jesus Christ, in whom we are all one and have been from before the foundation of the world.

"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. - John 15:3-5

AMEN! What strength the Christian can draw from Christ's words here. He's telling believers that their faith results from Christ indwelling them by the will of God. God, who made us, made us to "abide in Christ" and Christ in us.

That's the reason we were created in the first place...because without Him we can do nothing.

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning." -- John 15:26-27

"From the beginning..."