Questions about John 15:1-8 about pruning?

Question

In light of these Bible verses found in John 15:1-8 what does this mean when God prunes us? I know for a fruit tree needs to be cut back in order to grow. But how does the pruning of a Christian produce good fruit and what and How does the Lord "prune" us? Thank you for your answers and the Lord bless you:)

Answer 1

Let me tell ;you a little story about trees.

Most of us believe that we know what a tree needs in order to grow tall and strong and thus be able to produce enough oxygen to sustain animal and human life.

We know to plant it in very rich healthy soil, we know to water it, and we know that it needs sunshine.

This experiment was done, not to see if we were correct, but to see if we as humans could create a self sustaining ecological unit for outer space long term inhabitation.

The trees did not grow tall and thrive, although they had everything we thought they needed. They were missing a vital thing.

Wind, resistance. Without wind, the tree did not send its roots down deep, and therefore could not grow tall and strong and produce enough oxygen for the experimental life bubble.

We are actually a lot like the tree, we can be given everything that man knows that a child should need to grow up heathly and strong, but without resistance, trials, tribulations, the child will be weak and fall in the face of the first windstorm it encounters.

For us, pruning is a bit like losing our favorite blanket. IT makes us more reliant on God, than our own human desires and crutches.

Answer 2

To me, pruning does not just involve cutting away limbs that are growing poorly. If you have ever pruned a peach tree, you know you must also prune away branches, and sometimes whole limbs that look healthy and are even producing fruit, but if allowed to continue to grow, will have a negative impact on the tree as a whole in the future. The tree doesn't know that. I must use my wisdom to get rid of the branches that I know will negatively affect the tree in the future. We must also have trust in the Father that He can look at us and know that some branches, while looking good and even producing some fruit, will hamper the tree as a whole in the future if growth on that particular limb is allowed to continue. That is where your trust and faith come into the picture. At times, something that appears good to our eye will be removed, pruned away. The Father knows why. In the end, we will. During the pruning and the time that knowlege is shared with us we must continue our walk knowing that He IS indeed in charge of the pruning in our lives and as my favorite saying says, "When you can't see His hand, trust His Heart", for surely His heart is full of only love for us.

Answer 3

Wow! What a great question!!

God prunes those He loves in a variety of ways. Usually through difficult circumstances. It can be through persecution but a lot of times it's through trials we face - difficult people, jobs, crazy neighbors, illnesses, unfair fines or convictions...there's so many ways. We must always remember He knows what He's doing! He knows how hot the Refiner's fire needs to be and how long we need to be in it before our 'drossiness' rises to the top!
Remember 2Cor. 4:16-18 says it well,

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Becoming like Jesus is the ultimate goal. The process is hard but worth it!

Answer 4

Tonight in our service we had a special speaker. He is a missionary to Mexico. He spoke about what does it take to get us really experiencing faith -- when we are down to the bottom of the barrel? Sometimes God brings things into our lives that removes the things we are dependent on -- jobs, health, money, security of spouses, etc. -- and that is when we really start depending on God and God alone. Sometimes he has to prune the good things out of our lives before we look to Him. My husband has lost sight completely in one eye and has trouble with the other. Yet he is faithful to God and is trusting Him for what He has for Him (us). It has been amazing and encouraging to see how God has met each need as he has had to have many surgeries and is facing more. The missionary also said that many times God prepares us for one great task in our life -- what could He be preparing you for?

Answer 5

He removes the parts of us that are holding us back from producing abundant fruit of the Spirit. The actual pruning process is a combination of us surrendering our wills to Him and Him allowing us to go through the trials and tribulations which will refine us for His Glory.

Answer 6

He prunes us the same way we prune a vine. Its like this, we are like a vine. If you were to trim a vine you would usually trim off the dead bad stuff right? So God does the same thing. He takes us and molds us into a person thats more like Him. He prunes off the bad stuff in our life to make it better. Now thats not to say that if you trust in him your life will be perfect. He places obstacles and hardships in your life on purpose. He tries to test us. This also helps us become closer to him. OOh sry thats kinda off topic! lol. But yea he just takes off the bad stuff to make us better (:



hope i helped (:

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Answer 7

Jesus is the vine. If we abide in Him we will bear fruit. That might mean the fruit of the Spirit, discussed in Corinthians. Peace, Love, Patience, non envying...

If we do not abide in Jesus, we will be cut off the branch, and thrown in the fire it goes on to say.

Also Jesus Words will abide in us. If we ask for something we will receive it, Jesus said also.

By doing this the Father will be glorified, and we will become disciples. Pretty neat! God Bless!

Answer 8

Well... hon - you have to look at Christ's reaction to trees that do not bear fruit.

Over and over He would walk past a fig tree without fruit - would curse it, and it would be dead by the next day. Over and over He referenced the useless trees being cut down and burned. (Matthew 3:10; 7:19; 21:19; Luke 3:9 etc. See also: Ezekiel 15:2-7; Hebrews 6:8; and 1st Peter 4:17-18)

He was VERY clear about that fire in Matthew 13:41-42 being hell.

Over and over He referred to the Father as the vine dresser who would cut off all branches that did not bear fruit - and throw them in the fire.

Jesus calls Himself the vine - and us the branches. Continuing on through verses 11 - and He tells us how to remain in Him as fruitful branches.

Paul also speaks of the Jews as the Natural Olive - and we Gentiles as the Wild Olive. He speaks of the Father pruning off the dead natural branches and grafting we - the wild olive branches - into God's Tree of Life. (Romans 11:11,16-24)

Even HE warns us that if we do not abide and bear fruit - that we will also be cut out. (Romans 11:21)

The fruit is listed in 1st Corinthians 13:4-8a and Galatians 5:22-23 among others.

Those who were Christians and backslide are given a chance at returning. See the parable in Luke 13:6-9.

Those who are saved - and then walk away - not to return - are described in Hebrews:

Hebrews 6:4-6 For how can those who abandon their faith be brought back to repent again? They were once in God's light; they tasted heaven's gift and received their share of the Holy Spirit; they knew from experience that God's word is good, and they had felt the powers of the coming age. And then they abandoned their faith! It is impossible to bring them back to repent again, because they are again crucifying the Son of God and exposing him to public shame.

All the more reason to examine ourselves regularly and repent of our sins... and remain in both the Word, and in service to Christ by sharing His love with those around us.

It's tough... but self control is one of the fruits of the Spirit... and you obtain that through a lot of work and fellowship with out blessed Savior.

Psalm 51:16-17 Offerings and sacrifices are not what you want. The way to please you is to feel sorrow deep in our hearts. This is the kind of sacrifice you won't refuse.

He wants us to seek HIM and HIS Word and HIS path - to be the servant to all we encounter. (John 13) He said He didn't come to rule - but to serve - and for us to be like Him, serving others and sharing His love.

When it comes to Christains who ARE remaining in Christ... I think we pass through the refiner's fire. We aren't cut off like the branches. We are a mineral combination of precious elements and junk - and God passes us through the purifying refiner's fires to burn off the impurities and leave nothing but the purest, shining, softest gold - maleable to His will and work.

Zechariah 13:8-9 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

All of this is why it is important to lovingly try to win back a brother that is backsliding. It is also desperately imporant for us to stop rebelling ourselves, and return when we backslide.

...But that's another LONG Bible Study... and I MUST sleep now.

Peace.

Answer 9

C'mon, think it through!