Lesson #1 Our Connection With God
We that are Born Again, have that special
connection with God that cannot easily
be broken. In John 15 we find Jesus beginning to share with His
disciples how important this connection is and He uses the
analogy of the Vine and the Branches. He wants us
to know how important our connection with Him is and how valuable we
are to Him and how much He loves us and wants the best for us!
Our value and our worth is not based on
our circumstances and His love is not measured by our performance.
His love is unconditional and He desires that we flourish and live an
abundant life which is why He will go to extremes to see that we bear
fruit, for it brings glory to Him!
All throughout the Bible, God
demonstrates His love for us. If you really look out into this world,
the one main thing that people so desire is to be truly loved – a
love that is unconditional. I love how in John 15, Jesus begins to
use a word picture of the vine and branches in order to show the
relationship that we are to have with Him and how important it is to
stay connected. If we could truly comprehend the love that God has
for us!!
Read John 15
I have heard this chapter in John
taught many times that if we are not fruitful, then God just cuts us
off and this is not true! The Bible says if we are not fruitful, he
“taketh away” which means, takes up or lifts up.
John 15:2 “Every branch in me that
beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth
fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit”
A Vinedresser, when asked, said that
when branches begin growing at the bottom and drag to the ground,
they get dirty and when it rains, they get muddy and mildrewed and
cannot produce fruit. The branch becomes sick and useless. He was
asked then if he just cuts those branches off and his reply was, “Oh
No! They are way too valuable for that!” He said they take buckets
of water out to the vineyard for that purpose of lifting those
branches up and cleaning them off, and then twisting them up and
around the trellis where they can begin to produce fruit.
Wow! What a beautiful picture of how
it is the same with us. Our relationship with the Vinedresser (God)
is so important that our connection to the Vine, (Jesus Christ) and His
Word is needed to be fruitful to bring glory to the Vinedresser. (God)
We are way too valuable to God for Him
to just “cut us off” for not being fruitful. He knows the causes
of our unfruitfulness and so He is willing to go to extremes to work
in us what will make us fruitful … even if He has to rebuke,
chasten or even scourge us. Ouch! He loves us so much and His desire
is to see us thrive and live the abundant life, because it brings
glory to Him! He doesn't just cut us off and throw us out. He loves
us too much for that!!
In Hebrews 12:5,6 you can read about
the degrees in which the Lord will go, to help us become fruitful. I
will write more on that in next lesson.
Just know that God loves you so much
and that your relationship with Him is very important to Him and He
is always there for you to help with anything that may try and hinder
that relationship with Him. His will is to help you be fruitful!
His love is unconditional.
Connie Schmoll
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