Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Wednesday,
January 29, 2020
Pruning is necessary for the proper redistribution of the energy that we all need for production in the natural realm along with the spiritual.
Our Lord promoted “spiritual pruning” which is necessary for the redistribution of the “spiritual energy” that we all need for Divine Production.
Without the spiritual energy needed to perform divine good, the best that fallen man can do is “less than perfect” and therefore nothing man does can ever be received by God because He demands perfection; Mat 5:48.
“Natural Pruning” = a natural falling away; or a dropping off of the branches and twigs of trees and shrubs especially as caused by suppression or death of branches and twigs.
Spiritual pruning enhances spiritual growth by removing whatever inhibits spiritual growth.
Through much of life we are told that things do not hurt, however, that is wrong – Hurt people, hurt people.
There are times when pruning is very beneficial to us even though being pruned may hurt us and the some of the ones we love.
If we trust in God’s character and His integrity, then we know and believe that what He promised to us, He will fulfill.
No normal believer wakes up in the morning and prays for God to prune them.No normal believer enjoys being critical or judging others, being filled with bitterness resentfulness, jealousy, anger, filled with hatred, disgust, deceitfulness and totally dishonest.
Some reasons that will help us understand and perceive the value of pruning in our spiritual life.
- Spiritual pruning enhances or increases spiritual growth by removing whatever inhibits us from growing spiritually.
- Spiritual Pruning is not punishment or discipline, but it is a reward not a penalty, a gift not a payment, wages earned, not by cheating our employer, but by giving them all that they need.
- God is the vinedresser who prunes the life of everyone who abides in Christ and bears the fruit of Christ.John 15:1-8 = union with Christ is the work that God accomplishes in our lives, especially during times of trials which is directly related to our understanding of pruning.
If we view pruning as a form of divine discipline rather than a form of restoration, we lose sight of God’s undying love toward us and we become like Job’s judgmental fake friends who were counselors.
We deserve 10,000 lifetimes of grief and pain and turmoil—plus eternal punishment in hell.
- Why do we not receive eternal punishment?
Answer = Because our Lord Christ already endured the punishment for our sin is called “His bloody cross” at times when He was separated from God the Father.
None of us could ever imagine and identify with what our Lord went through for us when He identified Himself by the baptism of the cross.
The word baptism is found throughout the word of God to reveal the closeness, or the intimacy, and the tenderness and caring that the Lord reveals to us.
As Peter began to speak on this occasion, the Gentiles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit as did the Jews on the day of Pentecost; Act 1:5; Gal 3:26-28.
The Baptism of the Spirit applied equally to both Jew and Gentile; it was not a Jewish monopoly.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit produces a new spiritual person within every believer and is designed to replace the old psychological person.
Old psychological person = doublemindedness of the carnal Christian who lives in (1) Fear; (2) Bitterness; (3) Guilt; (4) Hatred; (5) The Sins of the Tongue.
- You share His life which is eternal life, 1Jo 5:11‑12, “And the deposition is this: God has given to us eternal life, and this [eternal] life is in His Son. He, who has the Son, has life.”
- You share Christ’s righteousness. You have a double perfect righteousness: that of the Father’s from imputation at salvation, and that of the Son’s through union with Him.
2Co 5:21 “He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
Possessing the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ is the means for the conveyance of your escrow blessings for time.
- We share the election of Christ an escrow election, Eph 1:3‑4.
- We share the destiny of Christ by learning about our personal sense of destiny and applying it to a protocol predestination, Eph 1:5‑6.
- We share the Sonship of Christ Gal 3:26, He is the Son of God; “We are Sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
JOH 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, {even} to those who believe in His name,
- We are the heirs of God and joint heirs with the Son of God, Rom 8:14‑18, 1Pe 1:4.
- We are a royal priesthood, sharing the priesthood of Christ 1Pe 2:5,9.
- We have eternal security; we can never get out of union with Christ whether we are winners or losers; Rom 8:1; Joh 5:24.
- We are adopted into the Royal Family of God, Eph 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.
- We are a Royal Family of kings, Rev 1:5, 5:10. Rev 19:16.