John 15:1-13
1″I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain 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.
5″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. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9″As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Related Text:
Psalm 80:8-19
Isaiah 5:1-7
Isaiah 27:2-6
Luke 6:43-45
Galatians 5:22-23
Colossians 1:3-12
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It’s a Big Time Word
Obey. In order to keep God’s commands, you must obey God’s ways and follow how He instructs you to live. Just showing up to church doesn’t make you obedient in everything. Church doesn’t give you an “obedience card” that you get to flash around. How do you learn about God’s commands and His instructions? Not by only listening to a preacher once or twice a week, but by opening our Bible and spending personal time with God reading and studying His word. Don’t rely on someone else to read your Bible for you. When you read your Bible, when you dive into God’s word, you not only find out how God wants you to live, but you find encouragement from others who have been obedient, even in the face of persecution.
The Bible is filled with incredible examples of people who obeyed God. Abraham obeyed God and as a result the Israelites, as unfaithful as they were, were chosen as God’s special nation. All because Abraham obeyed – he wasn’t perfect, but he sought after obedience.
God loves obedience. Obedience is living according to God’s plans. God is delighted when you choose to obey Him, and obedience is more than just studying and knowing the Bible, it’s living it out every day, living by faith that God is ultimately in control and knows exactly what’s best for your life.
So, I’m not harping on church or saying it’s a waste of time. By no means! Going to church, being an active part in the body of Christ, being involved in corporate worship with fellow believers is paramount to our faith, our growth, our strength, and our encouragement as Christians. Just be careful that you don’t get stuck in a rut and lean on church as your only spiritual activity.
