Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,  

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  ² He cuts away every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit. But He trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit. . . . ⁶ If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be thrown away. You will be like dry branches that are gathered up and burned in a fire.” John 15:1,2,6 (CEV)

Those “in Christ” are branches on the Vine who is the Lord Jesus. Trees produce, and healthy trees produce that which is beneficial. Colossians 1:12-13 delineates the fact that sons & daughters by the blood of Jesus are rescued from the dominion darkness, qualified to partake of the “inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light”; and by the bestowed promises of God we also partake of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Those rescued from the dominion of darkness are called out to be light which obliterates the darkness. Therefore, these branches are to be producers of good fruit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT). As it is written, good trees don’t produce bad fruit, and bad trees don’t produce good fruit:  

“¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart.  ¹⁶ You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don’t pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles.  ¹⁷ A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit.  ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.  ¹⁹ So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.  ²⁰ Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced.” Matthew 7:15-20 (NLT)

Those reconciled unto God by the blood of His only begotten Son must be cognizant of excusing ungodly behavior in saying, “they’re just a sinner just like me” because the noun-sinner and the adjective-saved have nothing in common; neither are these synonymous. For partakers of the heavenly calling, are to exemplify the way of God, giving evidence of the things of God.  

• “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” Ro 12:9 (KJV)

• “Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] expose and convict them.” Ephesians 5:11 (AMP)

• “The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: The fruit of the wicked to sin.” Proverbs 10:16 (KJV)

• “The godly are like trees that bear life-giving fruit, and those who save lives are wise.” Proverbs 11:30 (NLT)  

• “Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot, while the godly bear their own fruit.” Proverbs 12:12 (NLT)

• “Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.” Isaiah 3:10 (NIV)

• “You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 32:19 (NKJV)

• “For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.” Zechariah 8:12 (KJV)

• “And even now the ax is laid to the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Matthew 3:10 (NKJV)

We read and meditate and confess and study the Word of God because it lights our pathway (Psalms 119:105); such helps us to know God better and His will for our lives. As often sung by choirs in the relatively recent past:  “for through Your Word, I will understand, Your will for my life . . . “.  As Proverbs 4:20-22 tells us, we attend to God’s Word because it is healing & health to our tri-part being: spirit, soul (i.e., intellect, will, emotion), and body. We study God’s Word to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15).  

Speak the promise . . . Harriet