John 15 verse 4:

“Remain in Me, and I in you, Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.”

The Message Bible states it as:   “Live in Me, Make your home in Me just as I do you.”

We are in the chapter of John that is speaking about The Vine and The Branches.

When we come to accept Jesus as Our Lord  and Our Friend, He through the Holy Spirit comes to live in our lives, and we live in Him.

Romans 8 verse 1:  “Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those IN Christ Jesus.”

God said He would never leave us or forsake us, but this scripture points to the possibility, that we can leave Him. Also a possibility that as a branch not only are we pruned, but if we become dead to Him and the life we have in Him, we would be removed from the intimacy we have with Him.

John 15 Verse 2: “Every branch In Me {Jesus} that does not produce fruit He {The Father} removes. God would never leave us, but our intimacy to Him has been closed down, and it starts to hinder the growth of the complete vine.

That sounds a bit harsh, but Our God is a God of restoration and forgiveness. He is also a God Of second, third and innumerable chances, so be sure He would be on our case, not to let us become a branch of no fruitfulness.

But pruning may be needed in our lives, when we wrestle with difficult situations, where we become to busy, when we feel called to begin something new, or when we feel we have lost sight of God and His wonderful plans for us.

To be pruned, can ask us to seek forgiveness, to put right the wrongs and the hurts we cause to others, and to place all the hurts and wrongdoing against us, that effect us, into Our Lord and Our Friends hands.

Pruning means looking deep within to discern and prioritize, what is important  to help us be effective branches, and to discern what we can now discard or leave behind.

“Live in Me {Our Lord and Our Friend}”,  it takes activity to live, we just don’t become squatters, we live In and Through Him to produce fruit and the great purposes He has for each one of us.

God Bless.

O F J.