Every thing that a man leans upon but God, will be a dart that will certainly pierce his heart through and through. He who leans only upon Christ, lives the highest, choicest, safest, and sweetest life.
~ Thomas Brooks
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 does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
~ Jesus, King of the Universe, in John 15:1-5
Yet, G_d’s truth is multi-faceted. His wisdom is manifold. We see here, that there is a glorious upside to the infinite proposition that we can do nothing on our own. In Him, abiding in Him and the Life He has for us, we bear MUCH fruit.- Love: Valuing what G_d values. People are merely assumed to be souls of infinite worth. We begin to see them with the eyes of the One who is now living His Life in us and through us.
- Joy: A life no longer driven by fear. It is, in fact, fear free as we trade our fear in for His strength and joy. (editors note: i love all the flavors of His fruit, but my favorite is this taste of Joyful/Fear-free being!)
- Patience: We begin to wait. Our default position becomes waiting for G_d’s wisdom to unfold. We are convinced that His ways are best. Always.
- Kindness: We become sensitive to others. Our feelings flow from now-soft heart G_d exchanged for our old one of stone. It beats with His flow, it feels as though it were Christ’s heart in us.
- Goodness: He moves us from being all about ourselves, to being all about Him and others. We no longer perform to get what we want. In Him, we do right to give others what they need.
- Faithfulness: He makes us into beings that simply mean what we say, and say what we mean. We become – as the Germans say – einfach, or “single-faceted.” We look the same from all sides; transparent, but solid.
- Gentleness: His power flows through us in a controlled manner. Our actions are effective, but healing in nature. Even friction and conflict works only to bring the underlying shine of something or someone to the surface.
- Self-Control: In Him, we live a contained (notice, i did not say constrained) life. We come to realize that there is no other place we would rather be, than abiding in Him. We have the freedom to do or go any place we wish… But why would we?!?!
Abide in Jesus, the sinless one – which means, give up all of self and it’s life, and dwell in God’s will and rest in his strength. This is what brings the power that does not commit sin.
