Be a Fruitful Branch

“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."  John 15:1-2 (ESV)

This is Jesus speaking.  He is using something that was very familiar to his audience--grape

vines.  Most of us have never been growers of grapes.  But many of us have done some form of gardening or maybe even had some fruit trees.  

Jesus compares himself to a vine and says that we are the branches.  We are that closely connected to our Lord.  Just think of it.  What a blessing!  When we put on Christ in baptism we are part of Him.  He gives us the life and nutrients we need so that we can produce fruit.  

If you have ever had a garden or an orchard you know that sometimes a branch seems to be connected and ought to be producing but it just isn't.  If we are good gardeners we will cut that branch off so that it doesn't waste the strength of the plant.  

Sadly there are those who appear to be connected to our true vine but they are not producing fruit.  Jesus says that the Father will take that branch away.  Such a sad thought.  

Consider this scripture:  Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 3:10 (ESV)

But we have a patient, compassionate Father.  Consider this parable:  And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’  And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.  Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”  Luke 13:6-9 (ESV)

What kind of fruit are we supposed to produce?  I remember hearing as a child that the fruit of a Christian is more Christians.  We were supposed to reach out to the lost and lead them to Christ.  Now, I firmly believe that we are meant to share the gospel with the whole world in hopes that all will come to praise God.  However, I do not think this is what is meant by bearing  fruit.

We are all familiar with this passage:  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

These are the fruits we are to produce in ever-increasing amounts.  The Father gives us the written word, prayer, worship and all other "Christian disciplines" as the fertilizer to help us produce those fruits.

Now what happens when we are producing fruit?  The Father prunes the branches that bear fruit so they can bear even more fruit.  Ouch!  This must be the most difficult time to practice being thankful in all things.  Sometimes the pruning involves suffering.  None of us desires suffering.  But all the pruning we go through is meant to help us produce more fruit; to be more like Jesus.  

Let us strive to be fruitful branches.  Let us rejoice in the pruning.  Let us long to be more like Him.

What Are You Singing?

My husband got me a copy of the book Devotedly by Valerie Elliot Shepard for Christmas. 

Valerie is the daughter of Elisabeth and Jim Elliot.  Anyone who knows me well knows that Elisabeth Elliot is one of my favorite authors.  Most of you have probably  heard of Jim Elliot, one of the five men martyred by the Auca Indians.  The book is excerpts from the letters and journals of both Elisabeth and Jim from the years before their marriage with text written by their daughter.  I have not completed the book but am reading it slowly day by day.  It is an excellent book and a wonderful view into how the two of them thought and lived in those years.

There are a lot of things that have stood out for me in my reading but I want to focus on just one of them for this post.  Having read almost everything Elisabeth Elliot wrote I know that in her childhood home hymn singing was important.  The family would sing daily and talk about the meaning of the songs.  Valerie mentioned that much of Elisabeth's theology was formed by those hymns.

I think I realized that was true but for some reason this struck me anew.  Hymns and the songs we sing during our worship, whether at home or in the assembly have a powerful impact on our lives.  We should really consider carefully what we are learning and what we are teaching by our hymns.  

So often, it seems, a song becomes popular because it has a catchy tune or snappy lyrics.  But what is it teaching?  Many people today will reject a hymn simply because it was written decades or even centuries ago without considering what benefit there might be in that hymn.  Likewise we might like a song just because it was one we sang in the church where we grew up.  Not all the older songs teach good theology.  If you look at some you will see that they are teaching salvation by works.  Others might teach cheap grace.  We must be careful.

Consider the newer songs, often called "worship songs."  There are some beautiful songs with deep meanings.  In Christ Alone comes to mind.  What a beautiful and deeply meaningful song.  Also some of the newer songs (as well as the older ones) are taken directly from the scriptures, particularly the Psalms.  On the other hand what about the song that says that Jesus thought of us above all when he was dying on the cross?  I take issue with that song because it is clear from scripture that he thought of the Father and the Father's will above all.  

What about the songs we teach children in Bible class?  I am in my sixties and I still remember well and can sing many of the songs I learned in those early years.  

Let's stop and think about what we are singing and teaching through our songs.  Reject those that contain false teaching.  Be sure to sing a variety of songs.  If you have a favorite song evaluate why that is a favorite.  

Whether we realize it or not we are forming our own theology and that of our children partially through our singing.

Be careful and keep on singing!