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 15:5.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Living eternal life makes you fearless and fruitful. Examine your life, if you are fearful and unfruitful you are not living the abundant life My Son came to give you, so it is time for pruning.
The flowers have already appeared in the land; the time has arrived for pruning the vines, and the song of the dove has been heard in our land. Song of Songs 2:12.
On the night in which Jesus was betrayed and knew that He faced the cross and all that entailed the very next day, He wanted to impart to you what was in His heart and how you could live the abundant life He was about to die to give you. And He used the analogy of a vine and its branches—intimate oneness.
“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 (menó (μένω): stay, abide, remain, continue) 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. John 15:1-4.
To be with My Son like a branch attached and abiding in a vine means so much about living eternal life. The branch is one with the vine and produces the fruit of the vine. And this happens just because it is abiding and drawing its life from the vine. But even though the branch takes its life from the vine, it is the branch that produces the blossoms and the fruit. So the vine to be fruitful upon the earth needs the branches while the branches need the vine to produce.
The branch draws all its nutrients, empowerment, character, and health from the vine. The more deeply and firmly it is attached, the healthier and more fruitful it is. If it is cut off or not fully attached this will affect its fruitfulness, stamina, and health.
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. John 15:6.
The more deeply you abide and draw from the vine, the more fruitful you will be, and the more fruitful you are the more fruitful the vine is as well.
If you abide in Me, and My Words abide (menó (μένω): stay, abide, remain, continue) in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. John 15:7-8.
People will know what vine you are attached to by your fruit. And so will I.
Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:15-20.
Jesus defined abiding in Him as abiding in His Word. That is the only way you produce a harvest of righteousness.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17-18.
This life of abiding is based upon how much value and attention you give to My Word. You can only know Me by My Word and filling your heart with My Word is the only way you will produce the fruit that identifies you as Mine. But also that is the definition of eternal life: to know Me, the one true God, and the one whom I sent, Jesus Christ your Lord. John 17:3.
In this passage of the vine and the branches Jesus tells you how to be pruned and cleansed to bear much fruit. It is by the Word that was spoken to them by Jesus. Jesus is My Word made flesh, living and working, and He thus spoke My Words and embodied Me. In seeing Him you saw Me. Our fruit is the same. And what was His fruit?
You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38.
Concerning all things, I desire that you prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers. You soul consists of your mind, your will, and your emotions. It is not your spirit. And your soul prospers only in one way—walking in the truth. It needs Spirit food and not flesh food. And it is My Word that is truth and My Word is Spirit and Life. My Word cleanses you, sanctifies you, and sets you apart.
Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the Word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. James 1:21-22.
But back to what Jesus told the disciples, He stated,
“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.” John 15:1-3.
In the Greek in which this passage was written, the word translated “prune” and then as “clean” are the verb and adjective of the same word. The verb form is “kathairó (καθαίρω)” which means to make clean by purging (removing undesirable elements); hence, “pruned (purged)”; eliminating what is fruitless by purifying (making unmixed). The adjective is
“katharos (καθαρός),” which means clean without admixture, what is separated (purged), hence pure because unmixed (without undesirable elements). Spiritually it is being free from the contaminating (soiling) influences of sin. The English word “cathartic” comes from this word. This is the same word that Jesus uses when He states, “Blessed are the clean in heart for they shall see God.”
My Word cleanses you, purges you, and prunes you so you can bear fruit. The more Word you pour into your heart the more impurities and evil you flush out. Then you can keep your thoughts within the boundaries of My Word.
And remaining in My Word and letting it remain in you makes you bear much fruit, fruit that endures for generations and ages to come. And by your fruit people will know whether you are My disciples. In other words, the fruit you produce will identify the source you have joined with.
For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. Luke 6:43-45.
And when you bear much fruit it proves you are My disciples. And Jesus tells you how to become a disciple.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide (menó (μένω): stay, abide, remain, continue) in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32.
It will free you from fear of sickness, lack, addictions, guilt, failure and the like, enabling you to set aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles you, and lets you run with endurance the race that is set before you. And to keep running you need to keep abiding in My Word and continuing every day to feed on it.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:34-36.
What does it mean for you to be fruitful? How can you do this? How can you develop and grow in My Word so that you are fruitful? So that you are doing the works that Jesus did and greater? Which He left you command to do.
My apostle Peter, one of the first disciples of Jesus, tells you what it means to develop spiritually and be fruitful.
To those who have received the same precious faith as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:1-3.
Here you see eternal life—the knowledge of Me and Jesus, and the more you grow in this knowledge, the more grace and peace are multiplied, not just added, but multiplied to you. And in growing in the true knowledge of Me, that only comes from abiding in My Word, then I impart to you everything pertaining to life and godliness. And that is an abundant life, a call to live in My glory and excellence, so you, like Jesus, can go around doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil.
And he continues:
For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 2 Peter 1:4.
Knowing Me is knowing My Name, which includes My Covenant Names that guarantee magnificent promises signed in My Covenant Name, such as the LORD your healer, your provider, your Shepherd, your refuge, your righteousness, your sanctifier, your deliverer, your redeemer, your strength, your helper and so many more. These make you partakers of My divine nature, for you and the whole family of believers in heaven and are earth are given My Name.
And next he shares with you the way to grow spiritually so that you mature to the full stature of Jesus, the head of the body, and become fruitful in all you do because your heart is right.
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8.
For if these are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of your Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:8.
For he who lacks these is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. 2 Peter 1:9-11.
Being fruitful is not so much what you do as who you are. Psalm 1 explains that if you are abiding deeply in My Word whatever you put your hand to prospers. Like Joseph, Jacob’s son.
Being fruitful starts with walking in a manner worthy of the calling you have received. Walking in moral excellence, integrity, honor and love. Without these, nothing you do is fruitful before Me. But if you are faithful in little things, I know I can promote you to greater.
But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. James 1:25.
Abide, live, walk in the light of My Word. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead expose them to the light—be so full of My Word that it drives and overcomes all the darkness in you by My Light. The revelation and impartation of My Word gives light and the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Ephesians 5:8-13.
If you only live in the light inside in the thoughts of your mind, you will find your life on the outside full of light as well. Fear hides in the dark, but once you expose it to the light of My Word, and abide in My Word, you will know the truth—that you are forgiven, that you are healed, that you are prosperous, that you do have a sound mind, and you do have self-control, then you can live in the freedom of My children. You can live in the freedom of eternal life even now.
And how can you accelerate your growth in My Word? Supplement your own reading, speaking, meditating, and hearing the Word taking advantage of the gifts of anointed teachers and preachers that I send into your life.
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the believers for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ. Ephesians 4:11-15.
And avoid participating in gossip, godless worldly idle talk, complaining, blaming, and the like. Take every thought and word captive that does not line up with My Word, answer it with the truth, and cast it out in Jesus Name. Turn on the hose of My Word and flush it out.
In other words, make My Words your dwelling place. Put up boundaries for your thoughts and do not let Satan remove them. Isaiah 10:13 (And I removed the boundaries of the peoples And plundered their treasures.).
I love you and that is why I have given you My Word. It will make you just like Jesus, who is just like Me. Like Father, like Son. Family.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9.