A small but powerful (and directional) piece of thinking…
How many times have you thought to yourself, “Why do they keep getting blessed and they don’t do anything they are supposed to?” (i.e. pray, work for His kingdom, have a relationship with God (as far as you can tell), etc). Let’s be honest, at some point, we have all thought this especially about someone you know personally – because of this you know the “in’s” and “out’s” of that person.
To begin, let me say you can’t work for blessings. You can’t work for salvation. You can’t work your way into heaven. Scripture says, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Scripture also talks about attaching ourselves as a branch on a vine and how in order to maintain our lives this is necessary. “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me” (John 15:4 MSG).
But to those who do not do this the living Word says this:
“…Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire… (John 15:5-8 MSG)
When you are looking at the world and you see these people who don’t serve God and yet you ask yourself ‘How do they have so much? How are they having stardom? Why do they get everything they want?’ The answer is above. Bonfires are beautiful, radiant, and massive. It’s not a small fire in a fireplace – it’s outdoors for all to see. Crowds gather around them and stand in awe of its presence…
But it’s TEMPORARY.
“Deadwood” (as scripture calls it) is what is thrown into a bonfire to make it burn. DEAD wood. Not LIVING wood! Eventually, it runs out and is nothing but a pile of ashes. Living attached to the vine is a far better way to live 🙂
Confession Letters 