Salvation and victory in the Christian life, victory over adversity is for everyone. He offers it to all who are willing to claim it.
God didn't make any false promises. He didn't intend for you to not have peace and joy. But there are many discouraged Christians.
John 15:1--"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, and I will 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 a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is 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 given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
God never intended for you to live the Christian life.
The Christian life is not the product of the fruit, it is a product of the branch.
God wants you to rely on him. He wants you to rest in the vine.
God didn't make any false promises. He didn't intend for you to not have peace and joy. But there are many discouraged Christians.
John 15:1--"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, and I will 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 a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is 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 given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
God never intended for you to live the Christian life.
The Christian life is not the product of the fruit, it is a product of the branch.
God wants you to rely on him. He wants you to rest in the vine.
2 comments:
Wonderful! I spread it among my friends!
This is so interesting, I just heard this message this week ...and yet back around that time, God lead me to the same understanding of that scripture while teaching a Sunday School class. Listening to it now in the car shook me, because when I shared this insight with others, including my dad, who is a pastor, it wasn't really well received and I just thought maybe it was some crazy notion of mine. I was really glad to see how God confirmed it in my heart through Pastor Stanley's message.
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