FROM THE ARCHIVES
Originally written on April 5, 2020.
“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.”
John 15:1-2 ESV
Jesus said, “I am the true vine.”
He is the source of divine life. We are the branches. We must stay connected to the true vine or else we’ll wither and die.
We cannot produce any fruit on our own. It is only by abiding in God’s love that the Spirit will produce the fruit consistent with the works of righteousness.
The purpose of the branches is to bear fruit. Unfruitful branches are useless and removed. Fruitful branches are pruned to produce even more fruit.
There is a real danger of substituting Christian ritual for a relationship with God. Humans are hardwired for religion. We want a system that we can trust in to make sense of life. The trouble is, all that ritual is idolatry if it’s not practiced in the presence of God.
Jesus is the Head of the Church. That means He should be making all the decisions for the Body. Our job is to seek His face and learn from Him what we should be doing. It takes trusting in God for that to happen.
Too often, we surrender ourselves over to the traditions we learned from our ancestors instead of seeking the Lord. God wants us to be in a constant state of fellowship and communion with Jesus and God the Father through the abiding and indwelling Holy Spirit.
We were born for relationship, not ritual, nor religion.
I fall prey to religious spirits occasionally when I get caught up in a works mentality instead of an attitude of obedience to the voice and call of God.
Take Bible reading for example. I love to read the Bible. It renews my mind with truth that cleanses us from the pollution of worldly thinking.
However, earlier this year I embarked on a yearly Bible reading plan because I thought it was a good idea. My app suggested it. Nothing wrong with engaging with God’s Word every day. Yet, it soon became a chore. The devotional content was excellent but quite lengthy. Soon, it became something to check off the list instead of an enjoyable, vital, transformational time with God.
The same thing happened with the discipleship groups I was leading. It was just another notch on the belt of religiosity. If I do this, then I must be pleasing God.
The same happened with prayer meetings, church meetings, service work. I was busy, but slowly withering and dying inside. I was disconnected from the Source.
How does this happen? How do we go from flowing and going in the Spirit, to dead and dying and going through the motions? Where did I go wrong? How did my zeal turn into disobedience?
Because I trusted in the system instead of Jesus. I thought if I did all the right things, surely I would be blessed. But was I doing it because God told me to or because I just thought it was a good idea?
The Pharisees thought they were doing the right thing. In fact, they were assured of it. But their hearts were far from God.
How many of us are dying on the vine? How many of us are trusting in the system? How many of us are actually in disobedience while going through all the proper religious motions?
I’m taking a sabbatical from all the works I used to do. God doesn’t need me to do all those things. He says, “Rest.”
I find it is when I’m resting that I hear God speak the clearest. When I’m striving, I’m distracted. The needs all around us are not the call. God calls us to obedience. He calls the shots. He sets the direction. He leads us, guides us, provides for us.
In times of crisis, I find it easier to focus. All the noise fades away and one thing becomes clear. Trust God. Do God’s will. Abide in Him.
Lord, thank You for this holy pause on Holy Week. Help us to refocus our lives on You and You alone. Give us wisdom for the road ahead. Speak to us clearly about what we should be doing. Help us to rest in You, to trust in You, to abide in You. Jesus, You have already done it all. Thank You for saving us. We dedicate our lives afresh to You this day. Amen
Igniter Ministries 