5. The fifth step in cultivating a tree is the pruning
process
The fifth step in cultivating our new nature is the pruning process in which the husbandman is responsible for the cultivation and pruning of this incorruptible seed and the husbandman is God the Father Himself,, because Jesus from whom we inherit the incorruptible seed said; "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, 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, 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, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15: 1-8).
The only sure guarantee one has
in bearing fruit is by abiding in the vine, and this is accomplished by being
obedient to God and partaking of the sustenance for the incorruptible seed. For
it is written; “Now he who keeps His
commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides
in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. And, “He who eats My flesh and
drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (1 John 3:24; John 6:56).
It is at this juncture the
pruning takes place for we have been admonished saying; “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks
this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood
of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and
drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and
drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason
many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge
ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by
the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians
10:27-32).
The chastisement is for our own good, for we
have been admonished saying; “And you have forgotten the exhortation which
speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not
despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by
Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He
receives.’
“If you endure chastening, God deals with
you as with sons: for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if
you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are
illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected
us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in
subjection to the Father of spirits and live?’
“For they indeed for a few days chastened us
as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers
of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but
painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:5-11).
The irony of truth is; “God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having
predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the
good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He
made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:2-6)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BFP1SMV
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FV4WTWQ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYGDD7M
To be continued
Lucius Joseph
No comments:
Post a Comment