John 15:1~7
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He 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. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain 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. 6 If 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. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. God created all things in the whole universe. Nothing is impossible or missing to Him because he has and knows everything. But His heart bleeds for the love of man. When Adam, the first man, disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God called urgently to him because he was led to death by the devil (Genesis 3:9~15). And when Cain, the son of Adam, attacked his brother Abel and killed him, God also called to him because he was about to die due to the wages of sin (Genesis 4:9~15). Man can live only by righteousness, life and the word of God. If he leaves God, eternal death comes to him because God's life is cut. The man who departs from God is already dead (Deuteronomy 8:1~3, Matthew 4:4). Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). The relationship between God and man is like a vine and its branches. If the branches don't remain in the vine, they immediately wither and can't bear good fruit by themselves, so they are cut off (John 15:5~7). Man never lives alone without God and does good work which God expects (1 Peter 4:7~10, Matthew 7:15~19). The one without Jesus is already dead even though he has fame, authority, money, knowledge and culture in this world. There isn't any eternal life in them (Luke 16:19~31). We live by faith to live eternally with God who is the source of life. Do you not live by the word of God now? But do you think you can receive His life because you did well in the past? Don't misunderstand Him. You are not with Him and are out of His concern. Your faith in this present time is dead. Unlawfulness is sin and sin is disobedience, so that an evildoer should be away from Him (Matthew 7:21~23). The Old Testament has many stories about the disobedience of the Israelites. When they disobeyed God and were away from Him, curses and death came on them because of His life and blessings were cut off. We believe in Jesus to live. Therefore, we should remain in Him by the word of God and prayer in the Holy Spirit (John 15:5). Dear brothers and sisters, we should love ourselves. The working of the devil, Satan and the demons are always prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:7~9). The demons are mischief-makers. They make you not to believe in the word of God, the Holy Spirit and the working of Jesus' blood. They try to kill you (John 10:10, Hebrews 2:14~15). We should pray in the name of Jesus, and obey the word of God. Let's live with His life by driving out the working of the devil and by remaining in the word of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit(John15:15, John14:26).
