PRODUCE OR DIE

ohn 15:1-2  "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more."  NLT

      This statement by the Lord has always challenged me.  I take it for what it says and it should cause us to stop and take a serious look at ourselves.

       God, our Father, is the gardener.  It is His to keep the vine (us) pruned and productive.  He carefully examines us and when He finds those who produce no fruit they are cut off.  However you take it, it challenges me.  God says what He means and means what He says.  Therefore, I have to conclude that if we don't produce spiritual fruit, we are cut off from the fellowship of God. 

        Now, what we have to consider is what is the fruit we are to produce?  We look at Gal. 5:22-23 and we are told what a person should be like when the Holy Spirit is in control of them.  Paul says that we who are in Christ have the Spirit as well and therefore we must show the fruit of the Spirit.  The fruit we are to produce is for the glory and honor of Christ.  We are to be like the Lord and it must show in how we live and talk.

        Those of us who do produce fruit are pruned by God so that they will produce even more fruit than they now do.  We need to constantly work on being better than we are in Christ.  We need to strive to grow in faith and knowledge. 

        Bottom line is, we are not saved to sit.  We are to be actively serving the Lord.  We are to honor the Lord in all we do.  We are to live for the Lord and not ourselves.  We are to listen to the Word, learn the Word, and live the Word.  If we don't do these things, God will not let us hang around with Him.  He will cut us off and make room for those who will live for Him.