Firmly Rooted in Christ

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you” (John 15: 1-3).

Jesus prepared His disciples for His departure with an admonition to love Him and obey His word. He prepared His disciples for life in this temporal world with the promise of the Holy Spirit to remind and teach them from His word. Today we read about how Jesus prepared His disciples for the kingdom-building work they were to begin upon His departure. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John the Evangelist recorded Jesus’ words to teach disciples in every age how to be part of God’s kingdom-building work. We note that Jesus did not give them a blueprint for building the Church. He did not give them a four spiritual laws plan of evangelism, a ten step process for becoming a disciple, or a twelve step program for overcoming the temptations of the world. The first step in being connected to the work of God is to be firmly rooted in Christ.

When you wake up in the morning, what is it that occupies your thoughts? When you lay your head on the pillow at night what is the pressing emotion in your heart? These two quiet times of the day are good places to reflect and discern what consumes your attention, controls your behavior, and has captured the focus of your heart. Whatever is in control at these two quiet times of the day certainly exercises even more influence on you in the much busier times of the day. If you are willing, do a little inventory of your heart and mind at the beginning and end of the day. If you discover that anything else besides Jesus Christ is in control there, take action. It’s not hard to empty your heart of distractions and reinstall Jesus on the throne where He belongs. Then you’ll be securely reconnected to Him and ready to discern and pursue His perfect will and be part of His kingdom-building work every day.

Jesus knows that with the relentless hostility of the adversary and the business of the world pressing against disciples, it is too easy to lose our focus on Him. He invites us to consider where our roots are. His Spirit resides in our hearts… “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6). But the cares and concerns of everyday life reside there too… “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Every day we are tempted to place our roots, to seek affirmation, fulfillment, peace, and more from the things of this world. Jesus taught that he Father wants us to be rooted in nothing else besides Christ… “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up” (Matthew 15:13). The Teacher affirms this truth through the pen of the apostle Paul… “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7).

In today’s text Jesus taught that if we are rooted in Him we will bear fruit. If we begin and end our day with anxiety, anger, doubt, fear, or some other negative emotion, then we are not rooted in Christ and we will not bear fruit. In fact, if this sickened heart condition continues, we will die spiritually, because we are cut off from Christ. But if we refocus our heart and mind on Him, we begin to wake up in peace beyond our circumstances and faith beyond our trials. We begin and end the day filled to overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit… “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus promised that His Father will prune (Greek: kathairō; cleanse, purge, expiate) disciples who stay rooted in His Son so that we might bear even more fruit, and thus be part of advancing His kingdom here on the earth. The Jesus added the important truth that it’s His word that cleanses or prunes our rooted-in-Christ hearts… “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (Psalm 119:9).

As we grow up into Christ planted in Him and His word pruning our heart, we bear fruit as we stay…

Firmly rooted in Christ.