Posted by lb from 0-1pool112-68.nas14.indianapolis1.in.us.da.qwest.net on April 15, 19103 at 22:54:12:
In Reply to: Interpreting the touchy yet soluable subject of John 15:1-8 posted by The Rodeomister on April 04, 19103 at 14:25:54:
When I find a piece of scripture that is difficult for me, I like to try to find other scripture to help me to interpret it. For this passage, I looked to Romans 8:9-11: "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." Another passage is Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Jesus gave His life FOR us , so that he could give His life TO us, so that He can live His life THROUGH us. It's Christ who lives in us and is doing His work. Our role is to live by faith and adopt an attitude of total dependence upon Christ to live His life through us. The key to this passage is verse 5: "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing ."