In John “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, 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.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 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. 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. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in
you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you
bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples, Just as the Father has loved Me, I have
also loved you; abide in my love. If
you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My
Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that
your joy may be made full. This is My
commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one
lay down his life for his friends. You
are My friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves; for the slave does not know what his
master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have
heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and
appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should
remain; that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He may give to
you. This I command you, that you love
one another.” It should be evident from the reading that only through a close relationship with Christ can you have an abundant life. Let’s examine the first key found here. The first key to abundant
living is FRUIT BEARING. What and who am I? Why am I here? Not knowing the right answers to these
questions is the cause for much failure and frustration in life. Jesus tells us what and who we are, and why
we are here. He is the Vine; we are
the branches. We are here to bear
fruit. How does one become a branch in
the Vine? As a penitent believer, one
is baptized (immersed) into Christ
(Gal. Fruit bearing is essential to
living life successfully and being pleasing to God. God did not create you, and Christ did not
die for you, so that you might wither
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