Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

CARNAL CHOLESTEROL

This entry was posted on 10-15-2008 and is filed under uncategorized.

"If a person does not remain united to Me, he will be thrown out as a [fruitless] branch..." (John 15:6, The N.T., An Understandable Version). Early on in this daily Bible study series ("Juice for Jesus") we learned that there are two kinds of branches - one that bears fruit and one that does not bear fruit (v. 2). The vine dresser (God) prunes the former but cuts off the latter. It is interesting that even the non-fruit bearing branch is said to be in Christ. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit..." My question for today: How is it possible for a person who is "in Christ" to not bear fruit? How can a branch be a part of the vine and yet not be productive? There must be some spiritual explanation for this anomaly.

Perhaps some branches just don't "take" to the grafting. The "mortality rate" of seed is 75% according to Jesus' own parable of the sower and the seed (see Matthew 13). But that is not the fault of the seed. The success or failure of the seed was due to the nature of the four soils. Nor is it the fault of the Vine! The barren branch evidently does not accept the flow of spiritual nutrients from the vine. Perhaps there is some "carnal cholesterol" that is blocking the way. I can think of a lot of things that would qualify as "carnal cholesterol" and result in blocking or preventing fruitfulness in our lives. Things like covetousness, anger, guile, hypocrisy, envy, evil desires, bitterness, malice, unclean thoughts and deeds, etc. No wonder the Bible says to "put off" or "put away" or "lay aside" such ugly evidences of carnal cholesterol (Col. 3:1-9; 1 Pet. 2:1; Eph. 4:20ff; 5:3ff).

Unlike a wooden branch, we humans have what is called "free will." We can choose to open our hearts or shut up our hearts. Remember that the pruning knife of God is His Word (John 15:3). Hopefully we will "receive with meekness the engrafted ("implanted" NKJV) word" (James 1:21 KJV). But some do not. Some rebel at the rebukes in God's Word. Some even grieve the Holy Spirit. Paul warned Christians about doing so (Eph. 4:30). Since the Holy Spirit is the ultimate source of fruit-bearing (see Gal. 5:22, 23), it stands to reason that quenching the Holy Spirit in our lives (1 Thess. 5:17) would stymie or stop the vital nutrient flow from the vine to the branch.

Hymn/Prayer: "Search me, O God, and know my heart today; try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me; cleanse me from every sin, and set me free" (J. Edwin Orr).