Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Broken and Worthless Branches
I have several mature trees on my place and, after a windstorm in the night, I will usually see broken tree branches and dead sticks littering the yard. Sometimes the branches do not break clean, so they’re just hanging on by the skin of their teeth. These damaged branches will initially look alright, but after a few days the leaves begin to die and turn brown and crispy. What an ugly mess! These once-healthy branches didn’t have the strength to hang on to the tree, so now they’re nonproductive and worthless and must be hauled off to the burn pile. These branches are simply good for nothing.
God told Moses “I AM”, and Jesus told His disciples “I am…” John the Beloved recorded Christ’s words: “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 not 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 (John 15:1-4 ESV). The Bible is the believer’s owner’s manual for our life that sometimes goes in one ear and out the other – or is flat-out neglected. Jesus teaches how we are to live so we need to heed His words in order to live right.
The biblical definition for abide is: to remain, continually dwell, or walk daily in a close, enduring, personal relationship with Christ Jesus. Disciples of Jesus are to abide in Christ, develop a healthy, fruitful life, represent Him well, and bring glory to His Name.
I have two godly women in my life and both have one small tattoo. One tat simply reads “Abide” and the other is “Faith” – both of these gals are serious about constantly abiding in Christ and following His Word. All believers must somehow remind ourselves about staying connected to the Vine in order to bear lots of fruit. We’re to live abundantly in life-union with Jesus. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6 NLT). No one can truly live the way God intended for us until we surrender to Jesus and choose to abide in Him. Make the critical decision to stick with Jesus so you’ll bear fruit. Otherwise, you’re on your own and the definition of that is FAIL.
Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 ESV). This is a sobering scripture. We must live every day of our lives in Christ – attached at the hip, heart, and mind. Without His empowerment and wisdom we can do nothing spiritually for the Kingdom of God. Man, I don’t want to stand before God with an empty fruit basket — how embarrassing and needless!
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (John 15:6 ESV). I don’t want to be fruitless for the devil, I want to be judged fruitful for the Lord when I cross the Jordan River at the end of my journey.
The Key: If you don’t want to be broken and worthless, abide, abide, abide in Christ Jesus.