The Tree of Life

John 15:1-6, ‘“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. Jesus is the tree of life and the church is the branches that are attached to and wholly dependent on Him. Without Him we are nothing but in Him we are more than conquerors. If we allow ourselves to be fully ingrafted in Him, allowing Him to be the supplier of all our needs, feeding off the spiritual nutrients He provides then we will flourish and grow beyond what we imagine or ask for. While in Him, the Father prunes us, by allowing us to face trials that test our faith, to build up our perseverance to remove the ineffective and defective parts in us that weaken us and slow us down, preventing us from being all that He wants us to be so that we may become mature and complete, not lacking anything. Those that are unproductive – that have heard the good news but are still clinging to the allure of sin and sinfulness – will be cut off, and will be thrown into the eternal fire meant for the Deceiver and His fallen angels. We are nothing and can achieve nothing apart from Jesus Christ. Alone we will be devoured by the Devil who prowls like a roaring lion for unsuspecting prey. It is only in and through Christ that we can be all that God predestined us to be bringing Him glory through the Son, who strengthens us.