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The Truth About Believers
01/17/2008 08:39:37 / Teaching
John 15:1-5 "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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
A believer is identified as a child of God. Through prayer, we have access to our Father at any time, and we can expect that He will be faithful to every one of His promises. What's more, we are no longer classified as "sinners," a term describing those who have not received Jesus Christ as Savior. We've been transformed into saints--holy persons saved by grace and set apart for God's purposes. Sin and temptation will continue to be realities for us as long as we're on earth. But since our transgressions are forgiven, our new identity cannot change.
A believer is positioned in Christ. God's Spirit dwells in us so we can live righteously, as Christ did. To describe this relationship, He used a grapevine metaphor. The Lord is the vine, and we are the branches connected to Him and drawing on His power (John 15:1-5).
A believer's mission is to show Christ to the world. Our vine is to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). When our character and conduct reflect these aspects of Jesus' nature, we help others to see the beauty of a relationship with the Lord.
The truth about believers is that we don't have to "do the best we can." God works through His children to accomplish His purposes.
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