◄ What Does John 15:2 Mean? ►

"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.

John 15:2(NASB)

Verse of the Day

The picture of Christ as the true Vine is a very precious concept to most believers. All Christians are branches of the true Vine, for all are taken out of Adam and placed into Christ. All are in union with Him from the point of rebirth, and as branches we share His life, both on earth and in the eternal ages to come.

All branches are commanded to abide in Him, and so our privileged position becomes an important day-by-day responsibility, and we are warned that every branch in Christ that does not bear fruit is taken away, but every fruiting branch is pruned by our Heavenly Father to make it increasingly fruitful.

Some erroneously suggest that the unfruitful branch is a man or woman pretending to be a Christian, but no unbeliever is ever placed into Christ by the Holy Spirit. Many mistakenly consider this to be a Christian that has lost his salvation, but this flies in the face of the undeniable scriptural truth, that our position in Christ is eternally secure.

Some contend that it refers to the unfruitful carnal believer who backslides in his Christian walk and does not manifest the beautiful fruit of the Spirit, which is rooted in love, while others point the sombre fact of the discipline of physical death, of which Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 11. The suggestion that the Father 'lifts up' the unfruitful branch to encourage fruitfulness, is another thought that sits comfortably with the duel meaning of the Greek verb 'airo'.

Let us acknowledge the privileged position we have in Christ and make it our important day-by-day responsibility and delight to abide in Him, to walk in spirit and truth, to submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and to willingly embrace the pruning knife of our Heavenly Father so that we may bear fruit, more fruit, much fruit to His praise and glory.

My Prayer

Father, I pray that I may bear much fruit, to Your praise and glory. Take away all in my life that is not good and fruitful and do such a work in me that I may bear even more fruit, to your praise and glory. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.