There is one primary “internal blight” that attacks the branches of the Vine, which, if not severely dealt with, will destroy our fruitfulness. The “blight” is sin. Sin obstructs the free flow of the “sap” of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And since the Holy Spirit is the One Who truly produces the fruit that we bear, anything that grieves or quenches Him affects our fruitfulness. Jesus addressed the necessity of confronting sin in our lives when He confirmed, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” The disciples were already clean because they had placed their faith in Him and given Him their hearts. They continued to be cleansed as they listened to His Word and applied and obeyed it.
In the same way, you and I are clean when we place our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, then give Him our hearts in total surrender. We continue to be cleansed as every day we live by His Word, which we read, apply, and obey. How free-flowing is the “Sap” in your life?
The longing of God’s heart, if it can be expressed as such, is to be known, loved, glorified, and enjoyed by His creation. Although in His plural nature God has ultimate fellowship, love, and harmony within the Trinity, He also desired fellowship and friendship with Adam and Eve.
But early in their lives Adam and Eve made one choice that broke their relationship with God and cost them their happiness at the present and their destiny for the future, devastating their family for every generation to come. This devastation was inevitable because life is made up of relationships with God, with others, and with ourselves, and the choice to sin through disobedience destroyed all three relationships. Sin destroys our relationship with God through guiltiness. It destroys our relationship with others through lovelessness. It destroys our relationship with ourselves through meaninglessness. What sin is worth such destructive consequences?
In our pleasure-seeking, anything-goes, feel-good society, guilt is anathema. We run from it through frantic activity, drown it in alcohol, escape it through entertainment, talk about it to a therapist, blame it on someone else, suppress it through mental gymnastics, but we can’t rid ourselves of it! It’s like a stain that won’t come out of our clothes no matter how many wash cycles we put it through or what kind of detergent we use because the stain has become part of the fabric! The only thing that can “wash away” our sin and guilt before God is the blood of Jesus Christ. So God has given us a conscience with a guilt alarm that goes off when sin enters so that we might go to Jesus Christ for cleansing.
Satan never mentions the consequences of sin. He never mentions the psychological trauma that follows an abortion. He never mentions the dirty feeling of being used after sleeping with your date that haunts your marriage relationship years later. He never mentions the panic and fear that grip you every time you answer the phone after cheating on your tax return. There are serious consequences to sin. Always. Without exception. Adam ate the forbidden fruit his wife had offered, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked” (Gen. 3:7, NIV).
Satan had told Eve her eyes would be opened and she would be like God, knowing good and evil. In one sense he had been right. Eve’s eyes were opened, but in a grotesque way. She knew good, but also that she was separated from it. She knew evil because now she was saturated in it. She knew good and evil in a way God never intended her to know — through her own experience. And she was deeply ashamed.
The wonderful good news of the Gospel was shouted out so clearly by the apostle Paul that it still resounds today: The wages of sin is physical death and spiritual deadness as well. BUT the gift of God is eternal life, spiritual life, abundant life through faith in Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God.
What did you think you had to add to your existence in order to experience real life?
Increasing your investment portfolio?
Traveling to more exotic destinations?
Possessing the latest car or computer?
Achieving public recognition?
Reaching your professional goal?
Wearing the trendiest fashion?
If you want purpose and meaning and satisfaction and fulfillment and peace and hope and joy and abundant life that lasts forever, look to Jesus!
