I Am the True Vine

Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

The reference scripture this morning is from the NIV Bible. It is plain spoken and to the point. It encouraged me to read the Book of Titus. It is a sound and basic outline for Christian living. The quoted verses above rather jumped off the page at me. In my mind’s eye I saw a bowl with the empty stem of a cluster of grapes in it. There were a few grapes left behind in the bottom of the bowl. Okay, this really tweaked my curiosity and I had to ask God to show me what that meant.  

John 15:1-8  (The Vine and the Branches) “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also 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.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

I get the connection about God, Jesus and man in the scripture from John 15…it was the reference verse from Titus and the few grapes left behind that confused me. I read the verses over and over, asking God to give me new insight and understanding. Finally, the light bulb went off over my thick head.

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

The grapes are the fruit of living in grace and walking in salvation as we are told in John 15. Everyone loves the plump juicy fruit and readily accepts it. We need the mercy of grace and gobble it up. The grapes left behind in the bowl…is that the fruit that teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age?

Do we pick over the parts of grace and salvation that appeal to us and ignore the parts that aren’t convenient? Are we ‘situational’ or ‘seasonal’ fruit pickers? Are we willing ‘to say ‘NO’ to ungodliness and worldly passions’ when it suits us but leave them behind in the bottom of the bowl when it doesn’t? Let’s face it, sometimes it is just plain easier to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age than others. Isn’t it?

“…I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned…”

Not one word about having the latitude and option to pick over the fruit and take only that which appeals to you do I see in that scripture. Christians are not migrant farm workers moving from vineyard to vineyard. We are to remain in me and I in you if we are to bear much fruit. Nothing left in the bottom of the bowl…..