Abiding In The Vine - JD

The golden vines adorning Herod’s temple were a symbol of the fact the Israel was meant to be God’s vineyard. These adornments had been donated by individuals, signifying their devotion to the temple, the place where they connected with God. It also served as a reminder of the responsibility which had been placed by God on this nation to bear fruit, which Israel failed to do, despite God’s continuous calls on them to return to him. It was in the sight of these adornments on the temple that Jesus was proclaiming that He was the true vine. He was saying that it was in being connected to him, that fruit would be born, since He had fulfilled every requirement from God to do so, in the face of Israel’s failure. We as Christians are required to bear fruit, which is only made possible by a heart change coming from abiding in the true vine, Jesus. Abiding in Him makes the bearing of fruit something that is effortless. When the branches of the vine grow downwards in a vineyard and become dusty and contaminated, the farmer will lift them up and dust them off to enable the forming of fruit. God is today desiring to do the same for us, dusting off everything that prevents us from bearing fruit. For us as Christians, being in Christ shapes our identity, purpose, our relationship with God and the world around us. It is important for us to fully realize and have a biblical worldview that we are abiding in Him. This assures that we are living in his power, life and strength, free from condemnation, guilt and shame. There we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. To keep the fact alive that we are abiding in the vine, we need to spend time in the Word of God, worship, and prayer, obey his commands, love one another, depend on the Holy Spirit, be an instant confessor, repenting and forgiving yourself, neglect not the fellowship with one another, witness and share the love of Jesus with others, have a thankful heart, rejoice in hope, and endure trials and tribulations with fortitude. Let us work together with God to see that required fruit come forth.