Page 19 - September 2023 - Truth & Tidings

yard work that often involved trimming The Abiding that Advances
the bushes and hedges. By the time Uncle As with every other analogy of the
Bill was done skillfully cutting away the Christian life in the Bible, there is always
dead wood and overgrowth with his
trusty shears, the branches were a sorry a corresponding response expected from
sight. However, amazingly, they would us to effectively live out the blessing God
grow back, looking better and healthier has brought us into. Grape growing is not
than before. Thankfully, with us the Lord automatic! In the Lord’s teaching here, we
Himself is the expert vinedresser who, as see the repetition of the key word “abide”
needed, wields the shears of His Word to emphasize our responsibility. It simply
to wisely and lovingly prune our hearts means “continue in” or “stay where you
and minds and lives of wrong thinking, are.” This doesn’t mean that a branch/
habits and influences that are impeding believer is uninvolved or inactive, but it
our production of spiritual grapes. describes the daily, consistent practice and
On this point, it should be noted that nurture of the spiritual life and fellowship
among Bible expositors there are at we have been brought into through our
least two different interpretations of the connection to Christ. Following the basics
condition of branches and the cutting of
the vinedresser. Among other things, the of prayer, Scripture reading, fellowship
difference turns mainly on two possible with God’s people (other branches) and
English translations of the Greek word practical holiness is what it means to
airo in verse 2. It is translated here and “abide in Christ,” with the happy result
other places as “takes away” (Joh 1:29), of advancing our spiritual growth and
but in other Scriptures as “lifted up” increasing our grape production.
(11:41). If translated as “lifted up,” some The Grapes that Grow
take a comparative view, seeing three types
of similar branches being described and It’s inevitable. Being a branch connected
understanding all the branches to be sym- to the vine and abiding in Him means
bolizing true believers at various levels of that His life will flow through me and
fruit bearing, with the Lord using three that His grapes will grow on me, however
different methods of dealing with them. minimally. The Lord Jesus, with great ex-
Others, accepting the translation as “takes pectation, spoke of His disciples “bearing
away,” see the Lord presenting a contrast- fruit,” “bearing much fruit,” and “that
ing view of only two types of branches as your fruit will abide.” Note the increase in
being more in line with the immediate the amount and quality that is anticipated.
context and explaining Judas’ sudden What are some of those actual grapes? In
departure and imminent, shocking (to John 15, the Lord Jesus speaks of obedi-
the disciples) betrayal. The branch that ence (v10), joy (v11), love (v13), faith (v16)
is pruned symbolizes a true believer and
the branch taken away a false professing and witness (v27). By God’s grace alone,
non-believer. Whichever interpretation is it is true of every Christian that, along
preferred, both views, along with the rest with all my fellow believers, a branch in
of Scripture, do not depict a true believer the Vine is who I am and growing grapes
ever being “taken away” from Christ and is what I do for the glory of God and the
losing his/her salvation. blessing of others.

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