Love God (2)

Relationship with God

The church has always been set apart from the rest of the world by this singular truth, the Lord is God. The unique understanding of the church is not only that found in the truth that their is a God, but also in the truth that the Lord desires a relationship with His people.

John 15:1–8 (NIV)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

All through the Old Testament, the Lord spoke to and described his people using vine terminology. But through the vine terminology, the nation of Israel is described as a fruitless vine that will be judged by the wrath of God.

Jesus turns it on its head by proclaiming that the intent of the vine is to bear fruit, much fruit. Jesus proclaims that He is what we could not be. While Israel failed to be a vine that bore fruit, Jesus is the vine and in Him, fruit is always born.

God’s desire for our lives is that we will bear fruit, more fruit and even more fruit. This happens through the surrender of being in Christ. Apart from Christ, there is no fruit. This is not about getting filled up on the nutrients of the Lord and then go and grow. This is about being continually attached to Jesus and surrendering to the truth that He is the vine and I am the branch.

Every portion of our relationship with God is being used for our fruitfulness. Pruning is for our good. We are not who we once were, but we have not yet arrived at where we want to be.

The Power to Love

John 15:9–17 (NIV)

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

Our love for the Lord fuels our obedience, not the other way around.

His love for us always serves as the example of the depth of love that he wants us to have for Him and for one another.