God is serious about bringing new life into all of his followers. When the Bible talks about being “born again,” or putting to “death whatever is earthly in you,” it’s not just religious talk. The Lord is actually intending to transform the believer into a holy person like Christ. In this Easter season, we are focused on seeing the Lord by faith. This includes having a real relationship with him. One of Grace Anglican’s core values is having a personal walk with the Lord. But what does God tell us to expect out of such a relationship?

In John 15, Jesus prepares his followers for life with God using the metaphor of a vineyard. He tells us that he is the true vine and his Father is the vinedresser, who expects fruit from us, the branches. The fruit is more than missions or even character growth. At a deeper level, fruit is sharing in the life of God by knowing and loving him.

Jesus shares his divine life with followers who seek to know and love him.

The allegory of the vine speaks of pruning, which is the painful part of having a fruitful spiritual life. God prunes his followers so their relationship with him will mature. Jesus commands us to abide in him as he does in us. Unlike real branches, humans have free will to ignore God and cease to abide in the vine. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing of eternal value. All that is truly fruitful is done through a relationship with God. There is no place for works done to earn favor with God (See Matthew 7:22-23).

True joy can only be found in a real relationship with God through Jesus, his Son. To abide, Christians must spend time in his word and prayer. We must expect pruning and trust that joy will result.

Taking It Home: If you do not have a daily quiet time with God, schedule one into your calendar and set an alarm. Make a habit of reading through the Bible intentionally to abide in God’s word. The 2019 Prayer Book has a helpful reading schedule on P. 734. Download it for free at www.AnglicanChurch.net.