DEVO: June 2 - No Fruit?

[The Father, the Vinedresser] removes

every branch … that bears no fruit.

John 15:2a

 

Yesterday, I introduced you to a favorite book, Bruce Wilkinson’s “The Secrets of the Vine.” In explaining this parable, this analogy, Pastor Wilkinson invites us to imagine four baskets.

 

·         One has “no fruit.” (Do you see that in our verse for today.)

·         Another has “[some] fruit” (cited later in verse 2).

·         Still another has “more fruit” (also later in verse 2).

·         And the final basket has “much fruit” (verse 5ff).

 

What does verse 2 say that is coming for people, Christians, who bear no fruit? Clippers!

 

And what percentage of these fruitless branches will be clipped, pruned, and removed? “Every” one. 100%. Ouch!

 

Now, a little theological precision: We are saved by faith … not by our works or our fruits. Nevertheless, as it says in James 2:17, “faith without works is dead” or to put that another way, “faith without fruit isn’t really faith.” Or in other words, if genuine faith always manifests some degree of fruitfulness, then no fruit means no faith and no faith means no life.

 

·         Jesus’ greatest desire is to graft us onto his vine – for as the vine, he is the source of life.

·         Grafting is Jesus’ design, desire, and invitation. For example, Jesus preached to crowds, inviting them to accept his message and be grafted in.

·         Some did accept his message and were grafted in! (And some still accept his message and are grafted in.)

·         Others refused his message, and cut themselves off. (Sadly, others still do this today too.)

 

I firmly believe that any permanent detaching is done by us as individuals. The invitation is there. Will we accept it and be grafted in … or will we reject it and cut ourselves off?

 

From all of my scriptural reading, that’s how I believe it works … but let’s not forget the role of the vinedresser!

 

Scripture does not say that we attach, detach, or “remove” ourselves. It says that “[God, the Father, the Vinedresser is the actor who] removes every branch … that bears no fruit.” It’s His action. It’s His gracious action.

 

Scripture tells us – 2 Peter 3:9 – that “the Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.” God’s patience is grace. And so is the pruning in our verse for today. Just as a stubborn child might not admit to needing a coat until they’re thrown out in the snow, sometimes God prunes people from the branch, hoping that they’ll ultimately realize their coldness, lifelessness, and need for him. (God also prunes the faithless, so that their false witness won’t choke the vine and prevent other branches from thriving … but that’s a story for a different time.)

 

So let’s settle on God’s gracious, patient, life-giving desire. Like Jesus preaching to the crowds, he offers everyone life from the vine. Some will accept it and will be grafted in. Others will rebel and God will prune them. But this discipline is not for the purpose of punishment. It’s for the purpose of life! He wants them to recognize their emptiness so that they may turn to him and live.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s been pruned

and discovered deeper life

(Thanks be to God!)