Under the influence of Christ (1)

Sunday 6 June 2021

Under the influence of Christ (1)

“For without Me you can do nothing” John 15. 5

Sometimes we associate the phrase "being under the influence" with alcohol or drug addiction. Or we say that our child is easily influenced, to explain that his decisions and choices are dictated by another person. Jesus reveals to us the secret of the influence that His Spirit can have on our life, in a conversation that He had with His disciples : “I am the true vine and my Father is the vineyard... I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and in whom I abide bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing” (John 15. 1, 5). The fruit depends on the influence exerted by the vine on the branch. Any cut branch dries up and dies, without bearing any fruit. The Creator plants seeds of His image in each of us so that we become branches that bear much fruit and reflect the true character of His Son. The winegrower who walks through his vines cares about only one thing : the fruit they will soon bear. The leaves and the buds are not important, just as our appearance and our outward image are not important to Him. He seeks to obtain as much fruit as possible from the branches or branches that He constantly maintains. In particular by cutting them in two ways :

1- by cutting and throwing the branches which no longer bear any fruit, but which could undermine the vitality of the vine.

2- by pruning the shoots which grow on the fruit-bearing branches, but which limit their production of beautiful fruits. So the sap is concentrated on the most beautiful. This explains why God allows the troubles and difficulties that punctuate our lives. His goal is to get rid of the many unnecessary things that would hinder our ability to produce fruits that bring glory to Him.

Source (His Word for Today)