"I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer.."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. "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing." (John 15:1-5 MSG)

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After being saved, by doing nothing but trusting in the finished work of salvation, we are often lured into a life of works, aimed at gaining points with which to batter with God. We desire spiritual gifts to impress, seek strategic relationships to ascend and on and on the list goes.

Jesus said "..without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 MKJV). This is an absolute statement that leaves no room for debate. It carries with it, the implication that anything you do outside of Him, amounts to nothing. "It is the Spirit that makes alive, the flesh profits nothing.." (John 6:63 MKJV)

The bible goes on to say "I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains---but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned ---but if I have no love, this does me no good. " (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 GNB)

Jesus is not advocating total passiveness, where nothing is done. The issue revolves around the inspiration, motivation and power behind the activity, "For in Him we live and move and have our being.." (Acts 17:28 MKJV). In essence, if it is God inspired, motivated by love and done in the power of the Spirit, then it will be a blessing(Proverbs 10:22), otherwise it amounts to nothing. That which is inspired, motivated and powered by self, will lead to burn out[John 15:6] and will never satisfy.

"..he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His. "(Hebrews 4:10 MKJV)

Cease from your own works and rest in God's finished work and when you are full of His love you will overflow to others in His love(1 John 4:7-8;16) and activities that flow from love, will bless God, you and others, for "..we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28 MKJV)

Don't plough all your energies into doing nothing, when you "..can do all things through Christ.."(Philippians 4:13 MKJV), "..who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,"(Ephesians 3:20 MKJV)

Selah