Cut-Off Vs Pruning

I. EXORDIUM:

What will you choose? to be cut-off or prune?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that pruning is more to be chosen than to be cut-off

IV. TEXT:

John 15:2 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

V. THESIS:

Cut-off stops you from bearing fruit while pruning enables you to bear more fruit.

VI. TITLE:

Cut-Off vs Pruning

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: John the Apostle, son of Zebedee and Salome, and younger brother of James.

—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

B. Date and Setting:

Written between a.d. 85–90 from Ephesus, after the destruction of Jerusalem (a.d. 70) and before John’s exile to the island of Patmos

—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

C. Audience:

New Christians and searching non-Christians.

—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

D. Purpose:

John 20:31 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. GOD, the Father cuts off those branches which does not bear fruit

"He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit,"

1. Cut-off - is to clean the tree from useless branches.

Matthew 21:19-20 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.

The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”

The LORD JESUS CHRIST same with GOD does not want abnormal growth, as here the fig tree has grown abnormally because it has only leaves but no fruit. Many leaves shows the tree with fruits, leaves are a signal that the tree is fruitful, but not in this case, that's why the LORD JESUS CHRIST have cursed it and GOD, the Father, upon seeing an unfruitful branch will have to cut it.

2. The word "cut-off" or "taketh away" came from the Greek word:"airo" meaning to life, to take away, keep in suspense, sail away, expiate, loose, remove, take up.

It's very impossible if you are near GOD to not bear at least a fruit among the list of fruits found in the Bible, because GOD, the Father Himself will enable us to bear fruits, and this time it's not our own selves, it does not come from our own human effort that is failing. For example, fruits of righteousness came from GOD, while our own righteous deeds came from ourselves, the latter was rejected because it's not of GOD.

Hebrews 12:11 (New King James Version)

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

James 3:18 (New King James Version)

Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Isaiah 64:6 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

B. GOD, the Father prunes and cleans every branch that bear fruit

"He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. "

1. Pruning - is to clean the branch from useless leaves to enable it to bear more fruit. Useless leaves are guilty consciences.

2. The word "fruit" came from the Greek word:"karpos" meaning fruit. It comes automatically.

3. The word "pruning" or "purgeth" came from the Greek word:"kathairo" meaning to cleanse, to prune, to expiate

Hebrews 10:2 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

Cleansing here used the same Greek word:"kathairo", meaning we are pruned, if we belong to the LORD JESUS CHRIST and are one with Him, we are cleansed from guilty consciences. It's not acceptable if we would clean our own selves from guilty conscience, because we would appear as hypocrites before GOD who really knows our hearts like the Pharisees, but it will be acceptable if we let GOD cleanse us from these guilty consciences, like in Adam and Eve can't take their guilty consciences after eating the forbidden fruit, that's why they have dressed themselves with leaves (which is acceptable to them) but as we know leaves are temporary and not reliable clothing as the skin of animals are more permanent.