John 15:2 | God's Good and Painful Pruning
- How does God prune us? Through trials, difficulties, discipline, and suffering
- Why does God prune us? Because He loves us and wants us to bear more fruit
John 15:2b, "...every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."
- God’s pruning is never meaningless. It is always wise, every bit is necessary, nothing is wasted. It is always and only ever for our good.
What kind of "fruit" does God seek by pruning us?
EIGHT REASONS GOD PRUNES US:
- To purify our faith like gold [1 Peter 1:3-7]
- To help us grow in obedience [Hebrews 12:11]
- To increase our assurance [John 15:8]
- To make us more humble [2 Corinthians 12:7-10]
- To give us full, otherwordly joy [John 15:11]
- To enable us to comfort others [2 Corinthians 1:3-4]
- To prepare for us an eternal weight of glory [2 Corinthians 4:16-18]
- To give us deeper fellowship with Jesus [Philippians 3:10-11]
