Supreme: The Gardener

"Jesus—The I AM—is the true vine, he says, and we are kind of like branches created to be connected to the vine. And God is kind of like the gardener. And, like a gardener … Well, have you ever pruned bushes or trees? What do you do if a branch is dead? You know, it’s flat-out dry, brittle, and dead. You cut it off, right? Throw it away; burn it up, maybe...how about what you think or what you fear. Would you honestly expect the Gardener to prune you or to cut you off? I’m not asking what you deserve. None of us deserve grace. That’s why it’s called grace. None of us deserve to be saved, redeemed, rebirthed, forgiven, acquitted, sanctified, made righteous, made new. It’s not about what we deserve. Do you think your life gives evidence that you are attached to the vine, that you are drawing life from the vine, that you are being transformed by the vine, that the Gardener would choose to prune you, rather than cut off? In another place, Jesus says, “By their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7.16) By your fruit, do you see evidence that you are “in Christ”?" Stephen "Doc" Pattison