Walking with Jesus: Walking in Relationship, not Religion
Our reading today uses the metaphor of a vine and its branches to explain that believers must “abide” or remain connected to Jesus for spiritual nourishment and to produce “fruit” (good deeds and spiritual qualities) for God’s glory. God the Father acts as the vine dresser, pruning fruitful branches to bear more fruit and removing unfruitful branches that are cut off and burned. This vital, dependent relationship is essential for a Christian’s spiritual life and produces evidence of true discipleship.
In this allegory are two important principles: First, we must be grounded in Christ. If we are not, we will not be fruitful (see John 15:4). If our lives are not in harmony with the teachings of the Saviour, it is no more likely that we will bear good fruit than that a branch cut off from a vine will bear fruit. Second, even when we are living righteously, we still need the Gardener, who knows us so completely and sees beyond what we see, so that He can purge, or prune and purify, us (see John 15:2). While at times this pruning may seem hard to bear, it is only through this process that we will become more fruitful.
Let’s go back t the start here. If we are to “Abide” or remain connected with Jesus then we must be prepared to walk with Him 24/24.